For the love of Kaori!
by LittleFlowerLei
Summary: Zuko has had a lot of hardships in his life, with his father and such. But can he stand his ground after falling for a murderer girl with a bazarr past? DONE! Its alot better than the summery. Sorry for the crappy summery. But please R&R! its really good!
1. Take death by storm! Enter Kaori!

**Take death by storm! Enter Kaori!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar. I own Kaori and any Oc's. Yes that sounds about right. Also, -- I went braindead on the Kumi one. SORRY!**

On the rooftop of Kumohori highschool, there stood 5 people four of them fell down, and only one was left standing. Kaori. With her long, jet black hair blowing in the suttle wind. Around her were dead bodies of her fellow classmates and their blood on her gray school uniform. Their bodies lay lifeless at her feet, blood coverd. Their blood was a very dark red, and had gotten on their killer's school uniform as mentioned before. She smirked. _Showes them.._ With that, she left the school yard without being seen; she;everytime she killed someone; had desided to take herself out of school and leave that town, and find a new one, at least untill she kills some other people. She walked into her one room shack in the slums of the town, and walked inside. In doors she had a big black panther who guarded the shack while she was at school, a small black cat, and a fluffy white cat with a blue and green striped ribbon around it's neck. She packed all of her things and with her cats, they left their shack which had nothing worth stealing now; in search of another shack that they could offord.

During thier search for a way off the island, they spotted a fire nation ship on the shores; usually, that is a suicidal way to leave your home, normally one would buy a train ticket. But she was low on money, and really didn't want to take that chance; so she snuck onto the ship with her feline compainions. Making sure to stay out of sight of any crew member; she made her way with her cats down the hall and into a random room, it had the fire nation symbol on the wall, some candles, and a bed. Her black panther, black cat, and white cat all jumped onto the bed and made themselfs comfertable. She smiled at them and decided she needed to change clothes, she had blood all over the ones she was wearing; so what she did, was: She went over to the closet and oddly, there seemed to be clothes in it! She picked out a shirt that was too big for her, but she wore it anyway, and some pants. Seems odd that she would make herself comfertable in a fire nation ship doesn't it? Esspecially when no one knows that she is on it! But she doesn't care about that, she could single handedly take them all down! So she walked over to the candles after dressing herself in the clothes that were too big for her, and meditated.

Zuko came back to his ship, being greeted by his uncle. He walked down to his room, expecting to be alone, he layed down on his bed and heard a low growl, soft black fur, and the feeling of inhailing and exhailing. He brought his head up and stairing back at him was the giant black panther face; he yelled, falling off his bed. Kaori turned her head and looked at him strangly, like; he was afraid of her little white kitten and not her giant black panther.

"Don't worry. Sadie won't kill anyone unless instructed. If she isn't, she is as harmless as Sasha." She explained to him point blank. Zuko growled looked at her.

"HOW CAN YOU KEEP A GIANT PANTHER AS A PET?" He asked. Quite loudly I might mention.

"Long story, don't want to talk about it. Just get me where I need to go and we can act like we never met." She said to him, quite feirce.

"You can't tell me what to do!" Zuko snapped. She just narrowed her eyes at him.

"Just do it! I can't very well stay at Kumohori. So just sail and im going to come with you untill I find a place I like. Got it?" She orderd, no one orders Zuko around except his uncle and father. He would have continued yelling but Iroh had heard the ruckuss and thought Zuko was talking to himself again, but wanted to make sure he was correct.

"Hello Miss. Will you be joining us?" Iroh asked once he saw Kaori, before Zuko could reply with a definitly NOT! Kaori awncerd.

"Yes I will. This boy asked me to come along and I told him I didn't want to, but he just kept insisting." She lied. Iroh believed her though, he clapped his hands together and welcomed her aboard. She smirked at Zuko as Iroh was greeted by her fluffy white cat Sasha. Whom was on the back of her giant black panther Sadie. Iroh smiled and pet both of the cats, and then showed Kaori to a room on the ship, she stuck her toung out at Zuko as she scooped up the small black cat and walked behind Iroh to her new room.

_What...Just happend...?_ Zuko asked himself, it all happend so quickly that he didn't have time to process what had just gone on, on his ship. He had just aquired a strange woman, a large black panther, a small black cat, and a small white kitten. He had never thought that this would happen; not at the least! He always thought that he would never aquire what he had that day. He didn't know how to react, thats when he saw her school uniform on the floor, coverd in blood. Had she been harmed? Or had she harmed someone? She had said that she couldn't go back to that town, so he figured she had probably hurt someone.

Kaori was showed a room that was just beside Zuko's, She walked in with her cats and thanked him. He was a rather kind man that she would never harm. She sat on the bed with her panther settling itself on her lap with the white cat beside her on the left, and her black cat on the right. She was surrounded by her only family, her bag had been brought by Zuko, along with her bloody uniform. He didn't ask her about it, he just brought it in and walked back out. Like he didn't even care, which he didn't. But he did say one thing to her before he left:

"You'll have to earn your keep." He told her, and gave her just enough time to awncer before he walked out.

"I entend to." She told him, stroking the panther that made a deep purring sound. She smiled down at her panther, and when the panther looked up into her deep, Hazel eyes and saw what she wanted her to do, so she got off her lap and layed at the foot of the bed, Kaori layed her head on the soft black fur that is Sadie the black panther and staired at the celine.All the memories flooded back like a river.

_"My darling Kaori. Want to go out an play with mommy?" Her mother asked her, she nodded. With her mother taking her daughter by the hand, she walked outside the large house. Her mother was rather tall with a thin body, and long brown hair. Kaori gets her jet-black hair from her father, whom had left the family before Kaori was born. She never learned why. When they got outside, her mother smiled and they played hop skotch on some rocks, because her mother was an earth bender and made a hop scotch grid on a large rock. They played happily. Kaori's father unfortunitly, was a fire bender. But he was honorable; and yet; afraid of Kaori. Afraid of fathering a child at his young age. Kaori had been told by her grandmother that her mother was forced into mating with her father, and thus Kaori was created. Not exactly something that a little five year old girl needs to hear truely. But she heard it, and that she was hated by her father...Her mother would tell her grandmother not to tell those kinds of things to Kaori! It didn't matter what happend to her father, it wasn't like he was good enough anyway. Kaori loved how her mother would tell her that her grandmother was just joking around. But somehow, it never really healed what had been created. Was it true...?_

Her thoughts were interruped with Zuko throwing in a maid outfit. It wasn't like those weird ones people for some reason wear for sex, the hem went down to her ankles and it had a white apron on the frount.

"Here. Uncle Iroh found it." And before walking out, he gave the first command. "Go mop the deck or something." Kaori nodded and quickly changed from Zuko's clothes into the maid outfit. She grabbed a mop on her way to the deck and with her cats sleeping in her room, she mopped the deck. Zuko and the rest of the crew were on the deck doing whatever. Iroh had come upto her with an...interesting question.

"Miss. What did you do at your island? Did you work for someone?" Kaori froze for a moment, her eyes slightly wide, she shook it off and only showed him a smile.

"Nope. My mother died when I was really little, my cats and I lived in the slums of the town, Sadie had to guard the house while I went to school and I felt unfufilled there. So I took that boy's offor once I saw he really wanted me to come." She lied again. She hated to lie like this, but she had to! She couldn't easily tell them that she was a wanted killer! they would never take her on their ship after that, so she kept mopping as she and Iroh talked. Well actually, she didn't lie alot. Most of what she said was true!

After mopping the deck, she went below deck and washed the laundry. She actually didn't mind doing all of these chorse, she had to keep her mind off of her killing. Or did it give her time to think about it. She had washed Iroh's, and the rest of the crew's clothes before she came to Zuko's boxers; and she washed them like the rest of the clothes, but finding it all a bit...weird. She actually did have a boss, but feeling that she shouldn't tell them about it; truthfully. She cleaned INN rooms after school while her panther was guarding the house from burgalers. She knew how to survive out there in the real world, passed the royal families who are too pamperd and high maintence to think about how everyone else has to fight. Eye for an eye. Someone makes fun of you, you make fun of them. If you can't find anything to make fun of; then just kill them! Thats always been her policy.


	2. Dance of the Daggers

**Dance of the daggers!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar. I own Kaori and any Oc's. Yes that sounds about right. Also, -- I went braindead on the Kumi one. SORRY!**

Kaori worked all that day. When she finally finished all the orders she was given without question, she went to Zuko and asked him a question that he has never really been asked before.

"Do you have anything else for me to do? Give me an order." Thats what suprised him, usually when all his orders were fufilled, the person would usually go with the other crew members and enjoy themselfs, but Kaori was diffrent, she wanted to work.

"Not really. Did you get Dinner cooked?" Kaori nodded.

"Yes. We are having Kurigohan" She informed him, he nodded and told her to take a rest untill dinner is over. She denied and demanded that she be given more work.

"Okay okay. Go...clean...something." He orderd, she nodded and began to mop the deck again. That day she had mended the wounds the crew had gotten from Zuko's fire bending training, she had cooked dinner, and cleaned the deck over five times. Was she trying to keep her mind off of something? She seemed to be wanting to work, he never really entended that she'd work untill she collapsed. After dinner was finished, Kaori was caught scrubbing the deck once again. Iroh and Zuko really wanted her to stop, but she couldn't. She refused to obay the order to stop working. She had worked long after dinner was finished and everyone was just hanging out on the deck. Thats when it happend. Kaori finally accepted that there was no more work to be done, she got up and began to wobble; then, she fell. She fell onto her knees first, and then the deck. Zuko and Iroh gasped, and surrounded her; She had her eyes closed and wouldn't open them.

"Probably just tired." Iroh told his nephew. Zuko nodded in agreement. "Take her to her room. I will prepair her some herbal tea." Zuko nodded again and picked Kaori up, and took her to her room. On the way, she grabed onto his shirt and seemed to be having a nightmare.

_"Momma!" Kaori cried. Her mother shoved her back against the wall of their large house. "MOMMA!" Her mother was stabbed once, then twice. Blood gushing everywhere, from her stomach, from her arms and legs. She managed to crawl over to her daughter._

_"My little Kaori..Run...and never look back...If you look back...you won't like what you will see..." Her mother cautioned, when Kaori didn't run, her mother yelled at her to run. "RUN KAORI!"Kaori looked at her mother for a moment, and then ran. "I love you Kaori!" Kaori didn't head her mother's warning, she looked back and saw the man who was killing her mother chopped off her head._

The shock woke Kaori up, with Zuko and Iroh surrounding her with herbal tea. Zuko himself even was sipping at a cup. Kaori looked around for a moment, and then Iroh handed her a cup of herbal tea. She took it and staired for a bit, and then drank it. She had drank the entire cup before Iroh and Zuko began to question her.

"You looked like you were having a terrible nightmare Miss...I don't believe we ever got your name." Iroh said to her. She swollowed the last bit in her mouth and then replied.

"Kaori." She replied. "And I did. But its nothing." She told them with a smile on her face. Of course faking it. Zuko smirked.

"Nothing? You were screaming and clinging. I wouldn't call that nothing." He said to her, he was right; screaming and clinging isnt something one would do in a normal nightmare. Iroh poured her another herbal tea cup once she asked for it.

"Really. It isn't anything." She lied again. She hated all of this lieing, but it had to be done; she could hurt these people if they found out anything about her. So to them, she would be just Kaori. She took the new cup of tea once it was given to her and sipped at it, they looked strangly at her; she had been lieing to them, but they didn't know it one bit. She assured them one more time that she was alright, that it wasn't anything. They believed her and went off to bed, leaving her alone with her pets. She sighed and stroked Sasha.

"I don't like to lie to them. But They can't know..."

When Kaori woke the next morning, breakfast was awaiting to be made, along with other chores. So she got out of bed and instantly started work, having slept in her uniform. She cooked some rice for breakfast, and put it out on the table before Zuko and Iroh had come, she set out some pickle slices and soy sauce. When they took their seats, both began eating without a word; Iroh however thanked Kaori and asked that she join them. She shook her head.

"I have too many chores to attend to." She told them with a smile, Zuko shook his head.

"Nope. Deck's spotless, laundry is clean, dishes are clean, nothing else for you to use as a cover." He smirked. Proud of himslef for telling her that no other chores had to be done. She glared at him and wanted to drive a knife in his back.

"Well then, I have to go train. I can't be slothful like you Zuko!" She taunted, sticking her toung out at him. He glared and put his breakfast down.

"You wanna fight me right now?" Zuko challenged viciously. She crossed her arms and smirked.

"I would. But I don't want to make a big boy cry." This was fun! She liked to taunt him. "Besides, my secret move is to only be used when Im ambushed and its the only one I know, and one Jackass isn't an anbush."

They ended up fighting anyway. Zuko had gotten a few of his men to ambush her along with himself, She stood in the middle of the curcle of fire benders around her, with only two daggers in her hand. They all charged at her at once, all she did was raise her hands with the daggers and the next thing they knew, they were cut and bleeding. She didn't even have to move.

"Beware. Dance of the Daggers." She smirked at the armie of fire benders around her, bleeding and then sighed. "I have alot to clean up. Who to start with...?"

At one point, she finished bandaging everyone up and started to bandage Zuko up. "Now." She asked him. "What did you learn?" He sighed,

"Don't ambush you or You'll kick all of our asses without even moving." He said bitterly, she nodded. "OW!" The cut stung. She sighed as she wrapped some bandages around his muscular arm.

"God you are such a wimp." She taunted some more, Zuko just shook it off, not in the mood in the moment to fight with her.

"How did you take down my entire army without even moving?" She smacked a band-aid onto his face.

"I can't tell you anything about Dance of the Daggers. All I can tell you is that I made it up and use it alot." Zuko growled and orderd that she tell him about the dance of the daggers thing. She shook her head.

"Noope." She refused. Then she sighed. "I'll tell you about dance of the daggers." she made a hand gesture for Zuko to lean in for the secret. He did so and began to whisper to him. "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" She screamed right in his ear, causing him to fall backwards.

"What the fuck was that for?" He yelled back at her, she smiled.

"You should know better then that, Did you really think I'd tell you anything. All that I'll ever tell you is that it took me three years to perfect." Zuko growled, that didn't help at all! All it told him was that it would take him three years just to get her to tell him about it, and she's not going to be on his ship that long, so he probably would never learn it! Kaori sighed. She without another word walked into her room and placed her daggers on her dressers.

* * *

KurigohanRoasted chestnuts I think.


	3. Suicide, my antidote

**Suicide, my antidote..**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar. I own Kaori and any Oc's. Yes that sounds about right. Also, -- I went braindead on the Kumi one. SORRY!**

That night, it rained. Zuko and everyone else stayed below deck so they wouldn't get wet, but Kaori went up on deck and let herself get drenched. Zuko silently wathed her from the doorway, far enough back that he didn't get wet, yet close enough where he could get a good veiw of her, watching her dance by herself in the pouring rain.It wasn't the best health idea, but he had to admit to himself, she did look pretty, allowing herself to get wet like that. Deep in his heart, he knew it was there, but it was one of those things that he couldn't help thinking about; he knew that he had never seen such a pretty girl before.He knew that there had to be something wrong with her, but what could there be wrong with her? She was Perfect!

She had a great body, beauitful face, and great social skills. What could there be wrong with her? He knew that no woman or human being alone was perfect. Perfection is only an opinon. Tear drops from her eyes were discuised by the rain, using the water from the sky, to hide the water from her eyes. She was hurting really bad on the inside, and wanted to open herself up; but she would be putting these seemingly innocent people in danger, so they were only her transport. She missed her mother, while at the same time, where Zuko felt what he was feeling, Kaori felt betrayed by her mother. Had she no plan for Kaori at all? Was she just taking the chance of her living untill Kaori was old enough to live on her own? She had no home, no mother, no father, no friends..nothing. She had nothing to live for. It was when she fell onto her knees and wept that she noticed Zuko come onto the deck to see if she was okay.

"Its nothing. Just forget you saw that." She told him, walking back down to the hull and to her room. Zuko's eye lids lowerd half way as she walked away from him, she was definitly hiding something. When he walked down to the hull, he was greeted by her black panther, whom still scared him. He put his hand on its head and heard its deep purr. He just kept walking, as if he had done nothing.

He couldn't hear her, but Kaori was weeping silently, by herself. Tears spilled from the corners of her eyes, she knew that her mother would have had a plan, if she knew that it was going to happen; but it wasn't her mother's fault really, her mother loved her; more than anyone else ever did. Probably more than anyone else ever will, but her mother was gone, and Kaori didn't know why she kept herself going like that, her life has been nothing but hell on earth sence, she staired at the metel celine, tears spilling onto the sheets she was currently using. Her life hurt more than any burns Zuko or any fire bender for that matter could give her, If her misery was a monster, even the fire lord couldn't beat it. She had channeld her anger and sadness, into the dance of the daggers; but that was complete, so what else is there to take her mind off of her sadness? She had no real hobbies, and if she did, she didn't know what they were. No one was around to care or complament what she did anyway; this was the first time she felt so isolated, so alone..

_Suck it up!_ she thought to herself. _Thats weakness in your eyes! Have you learned nothing over the past ten years? If you have, its not to cry. Crying can only lead to more and more pain._ But her morals were wrong, crying can make anyone feel alittle better. Kaori felt she couldn't be any better, she picked up her daggers and staired at them for a moment. _You've used these to kill everyone but the one person who really matters...yourself. Momma wouldn't like it, but Kaori, you've been living a life of sin. You've killed all of your friends, and might kill someone who you care about, just kill yourself and get it over with! Go kill yourself on deck so your body will be washed off to the side and these people won't be framed and thought to have killed you. But your a wanted criminal, who wouldn't want you dead?_

Zuko didn't. He had stepped out for a moment, only for a moment. At that moment, he saw Kaori walking on deck with her daggers.

"Its really slippery. I don't think this is the right time to train." Zuko commented, Kaori shrugged him off with an:

"I know." She kept walking, Zuko watched her for a moment, and then sent a soldier to spy on her. The soldier did his job and watched Kaori walk onto deck, stair upwards tword the rain and whisper "Here I come momma." With that, she picked up her dagger and cut her hand. The soldier reported to Zuko what he had seen, and both Zuko and Iroh shot up and ran to the deck. Just in time to see Kaori fall to her knees, holding her wrist with her hand. Blood dripping onto the slippery wet deck, and being washed away by the water. Zuko and Iroh surrounded her as she fell backwards, right onto Zuko's arm. Blood was trailing from the corner of her weak smile. She was only able to whisper her last goodbyes to them.

"Goodbye..." She whisperd to them, coughing up a tiny bit more blood, and passing out in Zuko's arms. Iroh orderd that the ship's doctor keep her alive as long as possable, and he obayed. With taking Kaori down to the hull and wrapping her bandages up, he reported to Zuko and Iroh her condition.

"She is alive, but barly. She needs to get to a real hospital, I don't see why she'd want to do this, but she may have more on her mind than anyone of us can ever understand. We have to stop at the next town, and get her to the clinic there." Zuko and Iroh nodded in understandment, and the docter left them alone with Kaori.

Her breathing was slow, but not slow enough to be dead. The blood had been cleaned from her mouth, and her weak smile remained. Iroh had long gone to bed and left Zuko to moniter her. He could tell she was dreaming.

"Momma..." She whisperd in her sleep. "Why...why couldn't I come with you...? It would be alright...this life isn't fun...not like our games...our games were fun...remember momma...? Hide and Seek? Remember...? When is daddy coming back momma...? He hasn't come home all week...is daddy working...?" Zuko lisoned to all she was saying. What had happend to her mother? Had she died? apparently so. Kaori began to squirm. Grabbing onto the pillow and tears sprang from her eyes. "Daddy...stop...stop it daddy! Leave momma alone! It isn't her fault! It was my fault daddy im sorry! I couldn't choose what family I was born into daddy! Please stop it! Stop hurting momma! Go away daddy! Go away! NO!" With that "NO" Kaori threw her pillow at Zuko. "Go away...daddy...I don't love you anymore..." With that, she fell back onto the bed.. "Please...stop..." Zuko held the pillow in his hands as he watched her have a fit. "no momma...I won't go! I won't leave you here...no..." After that, there was alittle silence. "MOMMA! NO!" and then Kaori sprang up in the bed, drenched in sweat.

Zuko blinked stupidly. Kaori turned her head to him and there was a moment of silence.

"Umm..." Zuko began. "I didn't see anything. Right?" Kaori nodded. Zuko gave her back her pillow. "I didn't _see_ anything, but I _heard_ enough." Kaori was silent for a long time, Zuko had said it all. "I don't know exactly what happend, but hurting yourself isn't the awncer." Kaori shook her head.

"You don't know. At all. It is the only way out. Sometimes...I wish someone would just kill me. Sence I can see that isn't going to happen soon, I decided to take matters into my own hands." She looked down at her wrist, her whole hand was bandaged, except her fingers, but the bandages went between each finger. A tear sled down Kaori's soft face. "I miss my momma.." With that, she got off of the bed and walked away, but Zuko grabbed onto her wrist.

"Im not letting you go again. Uncle made me sit up all night looking after you, and thats what I plan to do! It isn't honorable to let someone die." She jerked her hand away.

"we can say you fell asleep, and I slipped away. Any way, just let me die! What do you care if im dead? I don't even know you. Besides, you've already heard enough. I didn't want you and your uncle to get hurt by knowing me, but I can see that you insist on knowing who I am. But I can't allow it. You could get yourself killed if you know who I am." Zuko looked at her stupidly. She just sighed. "Never mind.

He was so sure, he was positive there was nothing wrong with her, why did she want to kill herself? Her life couldn't possably be that bad. His life sucked and he never thought twice about suicide. But on the other hand, he had hope of things going back to normal. Kaori didn't have that same hope. She knew her life was never going to be as it was before, but thats what life is. Its always moving forward, and she is stuck in the past.

Kaori sat on the hospital bed, stairing up at the celine as Zuko did his job and watched her. He watched her sit up and unwrap her bandages.

"H-hey! You can't do that." Zuko cautioned, trying to get her to stop it.

"I just wanna see what I did." With that, her bandage came all the way off and she saw that she had dug the knife in so deep that she had hit a bone! She could see the bone to her palm clearly, she also saw some broken blood vessels. It made Zuko sick to see that, so he turned his head. She smirked and tied her hand back up in the bandages. "Can't handle alittle suicide effect?" She asked him teasingly. He couldn't look at her untill her whole hand was back in the bandages. "Squeemish?" He shook his head.

"Of course not!" When he looked back at her, he saw her palm again and turned his head. "Wrap that back up before you get yourself hurt even more!"

"Oh don't worry." She began to wrap it back up. "I'll be fine." Zuko watched her as she weaved the bandages back over her wound, he had not known that she could stab herself so deeply.

"Why do you want to die anyway? Just because you lost your mom doesn't mean that you should hurt yourself." Zuko told her she shook her head.

"I can't tell you why! All I can tell you is that I have been lieing to you and your uncle. Everything I told you was a lie, and I can't even desifter lies from truths anymore." Zuko rose an eyebrow to what she had said. "Sometimes I think Im lieing to myself.." A tear once again trickled down her face. "But as long as I have to be alive, I have to know what I've done wrong, and wish I hadn't done what I did...besides...even if I did die, I wouldn't be with momma again...Momma would be in heaven while im trapped in hell." Suprised at what she had said, Zuko tried to deny what she was saying. "You just need to leave me alone Zuko, I've got my own life to do as I wish with it, you have no say in it. If I deside to die, thats my choice."


	4. Zuko's capture

**Zuko's capture**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar. I own Kaori and any Oc's. Yes that sounds about right. Also, -- I went braindead on the Kumi one. SORRY!**

Kaori and Zuko, they stopped talking. Zuko wasn't getting through to her, and she wasn't convencing Zuko that her life is a living hell. The feeling of betrayl had come back to Kaori's heart.

"How could mom do this to me?" She asked, mostly herself but Zuko heard it. "She just left me all alone. She didn't have any plan for me when she died at all." Zuko put a hand on her shoulder, but she shrugged it off.

"Don't think things like that. It wasn't her fault, You shouldn't beat yourself up over something that wasn't your fault." Kaori staired into space for a moment. Then chuckled.

"Thats the kindest thing you've said to me the whole time I've been here." She told him, Zuko smirked.

"If I said something mean, that'd give you more of a reason to hurt yourself." Zuko yawned. He was really tired. Kaori smirked and told him to go onto bed, he shook his head. "No, Im suppost to make sure you don't hurt yourself again." Kaori sighed and held out her pinkie to him.

"I promise that I won't hurt myself anymore, if you go onto bed." Zuko staired at her pinkie for a moment, and then locked his with her's and nodded. He walked off to bed, with Kaori standing there. Knifes in sight, he was gone, everyone else was asleep, she had lost alot of blood, so she could easily end her life right there, end all this pain, but then rememberd the promise she made to Zuko._ "I promise I won't hurt myself anymore.." he just doesn't get it...im a muderer, I don't want to live life like this anymore..._ She yawned. _Guess Im tired too..might as well hit the hay._ With that, she walked down to her room and crawled into her bed. Snuggling herself up next to her black panther, black cat, and white kitten. Saying good night to them.

Zuko was sitting in a feild of red poppies, The sky was blue and had only a few puffy clouds, a black shadow beside him.

"Im glad you talked me into comeing. This is beautiful!" The shadow said to him. Its voice echoed at every word, so who it was couldn't be desiferd.All that was known, was that it was a female. Zuko smiled at the shadow.

"Im glad you decided to come." He tackled the shadow into the poppies and kissed her. They both laughed, and tackled eachother back and forth. Who was that strange shadow? "Im happy that I could make you feel better about yourself Kaori." The shadow blurred and It became Kaori, she smiled and played with his jet black hair.

He was interrupted by his uncle shaking him awake. Zuko opend his eyes to his uncle, still tired.

"Prince Zuko, we have landed. After Kaori goes to the docter's at the island, we are going to cheak out the market place. Do you care to join us?" Zuko staired at his uncle for a few seconds, then nodded. Iroh left so Zuko could get himself dressed. Kaori had borrowed some of Zuko's clothes, after explaining to him that she was probably wanted on this island by bad people, she bound her hair up like Zuko's and tried to desquise herself as much as possable. Using some soot to put hide her characteristics, whithout looking like she was trying to hide anything. Zuko's clothes were like, a million sizes to big for her. He isn't fat, but VERY muscular and hott; while she was a skinny, boney armed school girl. Of course they'd be too big for her! the soot she didn't quite know what to do with. Fire bender's really didn't hide their faces. She'd actually have better luck with a helmet or something. Yeah that sounded better. So she walked upto a soldier and asked if she could borrow his helmit. He was more than glad to give it up, it felt like wearing a tin can on your head. So she took the hemit back to her room, and tied her hair up into a bun, and put the helmit on. She giggled to herself, no one would ever know who she was! she looked like a total fire bender! which is usually a bad thing.

"Who are you. and why are you in Kaori's room?" A voice asked from behind her, she turned her head and saw Zuko leaning on the doorway with a smirk on his face. "C'mon. Were going to get that hand of your's examoned, and check out the market place. Lets go." Kaori nodded and followed him. She followed behind both Zuko and Iroh, for firebenders, they were quite human and kind. They walked through the town without Kaori saying a word. When they walked into the Clinic and the docter was ready to see them, he unwrapped the bandage around her hand to see the broken blood vessels and the bone of her hand.

Zuko looked away and almost gaged as the docter examoned it. He hated to see such a gory sight. Blood vessels on the bone and the bone just so visable. That made him know that a bigger version of her hand was under his skin, and that made him choke more.

"Sir, if this is making you uncomfertable, you can go wait outside." Zuko shook his head, unable to really say anything, but seeing that was torture. After the docter examoned it for a bit longer, Zuko couldn't take it anymore, he walked out of the office and leaned on the wall.Having to catch his breath for a moment. How could that docter not see that bone and blood vessels and not get sick to his stomach? He got himself a small cup of water and drank it down quickly. That was the worst sight he had ever seen. He had burnt down Kyoshi, captured that water tribe girl and forced her to tell him where the avatar was, threatend to burn down a scroll, sliced some fire benders with swords in trying to save the avatar, and yet, he had not seen anything grosser than what Kaori's hand looked like. Ripped open with blood vessels broken and visable, her bone exposed like that. Just thinking about it made him sick.

His uncle came out of the room a few minutes after Zuko had left. He had some news about Kaori.

"She is okay, but she'll need some stitches on her palm, and they will try and fix her bloodvessels, She'll need to relax some so her heart can produce more blood into her bloodstream." Zuko nodded in understandment. But thinking about it made him gag, and his uncle laugh. "You truly are a funny man Zuko, you act all tough, but you are afraid of alittle exposed bone." Zuko blushed. Had that really been what made him gag? That dream he had made him wounder about his feelings for Kaori, they had only just met, but he had a feeling that he knew her all his life. But he was positive he hadn't. Was the reason he gaged because the bone was Kaori's hand and it was just a relfex? Nah. It was the exposed bone.

"So? I don't know how you couldn't be." Zuko replied. Pushing all those thoughts into the back of his mind. "Its weird." Iroh just chuckled.

"Your not feeling Sympathedic of her, are you?" Zuko blushed again and shook his head quickly.

"Of course not! Its her own damn fault!" He defended. "If she hadn't tried to kill herself, none of this would have happend!" Iroh didn't believe his nephew's argument, but decided it was best to leave it at that. But Iroh knew the truth, Zuko was feeling sympathedic of Kaori.

Iroh had really got Zuko thinking, was he sympathedic for Kaori? No. Of course not. Of course he wasn't! Kaori was a suicidal orphan! But...that doesn't mean he couldn't have feelings for her. She_ was _really pretty. She had kept her promise to him, she didn't hurt herself again after he went to bed, infact, she went to sleep herself. He didn't know what she had done to make her hate life so much, but he knew it had to be bad. It had to be something unforgivable and mercifulless. He didn't have any ideas for what that would be,but he knew that no matter what Kaori did, he would never, ever_ hate _her to the extent of her wanting to kill herself. There was nothing in this whole wide world she could possably do.

Kaori was going to go have her stitches put in. Zuko and Iroh were free to do what they wished for the next few hours. So they went looking at the market place for a bit. Zuko found a stand that had a bunch of chinese stuff. Chinese clothes, chinese lanterns, chinese fans, stuff like that. But what caught Zuko's eye wasn't at the stand, but at the stand diagnal from him, about three stors down. He saw Jhou looking at some scrolls. Zuko was trying to go without having to talk to Jhou, but sadly; Jhou noticed Zuko and went upto talk to him.

"Hello Prince Zuko! What brings you here?" Zuko glared at him for a moment.

"Looking for the avatar. He wasn't on this island so we were about to leave." Zuko lied. He wasn't about to tell Jhou that he had come to the island because Kaori had tried to commit suicide and needed to get stitches put in. So he'd lie, using the avatar as a lie.

"Really? Are you sure you checked the whole island?" Jhou asked Zuko, he nodded. "Then you won't mind if I check it"

"Go ahead." Zuko told him, Jhou smirked and began to walk. Zuko hoped that the avatar really wasn't on the island, if he was..then there goes his country, his honor, and this throne.

Kaori sat alone in a dark room, she was still getting her stitches, but she had been knocked out so she wouldn't feel the pain. Her mind was the dark room, and she sat in it, weeping. Before her came a candle._ Why do...I do these things? Do I want revenge? Do I want to know what possesed my father to kill my mother? or do I just want to feel alive? Probably the first two, pain can make me feel alive. _ She brought her hand over a candle, it didn't hurt. A knife appeared beside the candle, she took it and cut her wrist, and it didn't hurt or bleed. _Am I...dead? No I couldn't possably be! I was alive when I came! I can't be dead!_ Her eyes flutterd open a few hours later, the docters had finished,and she could see them through the eye holes in the helmit. With getting up and giving them the money she had, she left to find Zuko and Iroh so they could get out. But she didn't see them anywhere.

"Kaori!" Shouted Iroh as he ran to her from the distance. "Prince Zuko has not come back yet!" Kaori lifted an eyebrow, but no one could see it.

"Where could he have possably gone?" Iroh had to catch his breath for a moment.

"He went to cheak the island for the avatar after Jhou and he hasn't come back!" Kaori glared under the helmit. But let out a sigh.

"I'll go find him.." She first went back to the ship and got her daggers. With that, she went out searching for him. He was found bound to a tree at Jhou's camp site. She quietly jumped out of the tree, but her helmit made a CLANG sound when she hit the ground, and every fire bender at the camp site had seen her.

And the fight began...


	5. The ubduction of Kaori!

**The ubduction of Kaori!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar. I own Kaori and any Oc's. Yes that sounds about right. Also, -- I went braindead on the Kumi one. SORRY!**

Kaori drew her blades and got into formation as Jhou's entire army ambushed her. As they surrounded her, Zuko saw the true dance of the daggers! It looked like she wasn't moving, but in reality, she was spinning like a top, and cutting all who got near her. So engenious! In a matter of minutes, his entire army was half wounded, half dead. She walked over to Zuko and cut him loose from the tree. Once loose, he and Kaori both left the camp site, but as they ran; Jhou hit Kaori in the head with a fire ball, knocking her helmit off, and knocking her to the ground. Zuko staired at her for a moment, waiting for her to get up; but after seeing that she wasn't going to, he shot a fire ball at Jhou and when he deflected it; he saw they were gone.

That was the first time Zuko ever had the chance to stair at Kaori without being called a pervert or a softie. She had such a pretty face. He didn't know why she wanted to hide it under that helmet. She had been knocked out, but not killed. She'd probably wake up in a few minutes. Zuko set her head on his lap, her bangs hung in her eyes; Zuko brushed them out of the way, and staired at her. He felt his heart go THUMP really hard. Kaori sturred, that made Zuko let go of her and set a pile of leaves on fire. It was too late to try and find their way back to the ship. So they'd have to camp out, alone, in the forest.

Her eyes flutterd open to see Zuko meditating infrount of the fire.

"Its about time you woke up." He smirked. Kaori stood up, but stumbled a bit.

"Jeeze...this is what I get for saving you. A migrain." She told him, sitting beside him and rubbing her head. "Still smarts."

"Don't you want to thank me?" Kaori turned her head to him in discust.

"Thank you? For what? Getting yourself kidnapped and having me come save you? I think you owe me a thanks." Kaori growled.

"Fine! I could have left you there when Jhou hit you, I'd be the smarter thing to do!" Zuko growled right back. She smacked him.

"You got saved by a school girl, that is just sad." Zuko smirked.

"Your not as scary as you think you are."

"Well your not as badass as you think you are!"

Kaori turned away from him, it was going to be a long night if they kept fighting like they were. The fire lit up the place where they would sleep, her migrain stayed for a long time, it throbbed. Zuko glanced over at Kaori after the few hours of silence. She had fallen fast asleep. He grinned to himself, she was quite cute when she was sleeping. Now, his deed was not ment to be sick; he figured she'd sleep more comfertably without the armor, so he took off her armor. Thats when he saw something he didn't really expect, her chest..he had actually noticed now. She had a pretty big chest. Not really big; but not real small either. He put his hand on it and squeezed it; he never saw a woman's breast before; when he was fourteen; he never really thought about it that much, when he left home, he was surrounded by men, and now he was all alone in the forest with a female. He thought it felt kind of weird. But in a good way! he squeezed it a bit harder, wanting to know how it really felt. He quickly took his hand back, knowing that if Kaori caught him, he'd be dead. He sat with his back to a tree, and felt his eyes get heavy. He yawned and closed his eyes. Bedtime.

He awoke to the sound of Kaori's yell. He opend his eyes and their fire was put out, and Kaori was gone. All that remained were her knifes.He didn't know where to go. Back to the ship? Or someother direction? He ran one way, and then the other. Quickly, he ran into some random direction, and found himself back at the town. He ran to his ship and asked his uncle if Kaori had come back. Iroh had been sleeping but awoken by Zuko's frantic yell.

"No, I thought she was with you." Iroh told him tiredly, rubbing the top of his head.

"Well she isn't anymore!" Zuko kept panicking, he had only taken his eyes off of her for only; or what felt to him like; a second!

* * *

Kaori opend her eyes, and saw that she was on a ship, not a very good one mind you. It was like a prison ship, but of course they don't bother to send her a nice ship with ugly colors. Oh no! They send her a crappy ship where bars are the walls! or at least, one of three.That is so unfair! A soldier walked to her, he wasn't from the fire nation. He was an earth kingdom soldier.

"What do you want with me?" She hissed. Preferring Zuko's company over this guy's.

"Like you don't know. You killed seven highschoolers here three months ago!" Kaori was silent, he was right. She had killed seven students three months ago. "Now, just sit back and relax while I take your murderus ass to Prince Kaisuke." The soldier walked out of the prison hold, leaving Kaori in the dark. Tears sprouting from her eyes. _Your getting what you deserve...oh Zuko...please help me..._

* * *

Zuko had somehow learned that Kaori was taken to Kumabori island. He wasn't told why, but he orderd that his crew sail twords Kumabori island. He sat alone in his room a great deal of the time. How could he allow this to happen so easily? If only he had quicker reflexes and able to help her, if only he took her back to the ship no matter what time of the day it was. He took this all as his fault, even though it wasn't his fault. He just felt there was something more he could have done to prevent this. Even thought he couldn't. He wounderd why he cared so much that she was gone, was it because she had some special meaning to him now? Or was it because he was suppost to take her where she wanted to go, and with her screaming; he had broken his promise? he didn't know, but he hoped Kaori was okay. He shook the thought away, it wasn't worth thinking that hard about. All he knew is that he had to help Kaori and that is exactly what he planned to do. He'd have plenty of time to figure out this all later, much later. He didn't want to worry over nothing; Kaori was a strong girl, he knew that. She'd be able to buy him some time...

* * *

She had shut her eyes again. Figuring it useless to try and escape. The water was what seperated her from both land and Zuko's ship. She'd most likely drown, and she'd rather have herself killed by a prince than drown anyway. A few minutes after shutting her eyes and accepting it. She, in her mind, saw herself and a girl that looked almost exactly like her. Except she had bigger breasts, bright red hair that looked almost like fire, pale skin, red eyes and a red tank top that at the bottom was ripped up to look like flames, a short; tight skirt that was ripped up to look like flames, and red platform boots. Her nails were painted bright red (Thumb), orange (index), yellow(middle), red(next to middle) orange (pinkie), and on her other hand it was that list backwards.

_"Who are you?" Kaori asked. The girl swished her long red hair and smirked._

_"You." Kaori rose an eyebrow, how could this girl be Kaori? Kaori was Kaori! "Well. Not you technically. More...Dark Kaori. Im another half of you. Remember how when we were little, you would think that momma left you all alone?" Kaori nodded. "Well! I was always with you. But you never let me out to play. For the next ten years, I was waiting for you to accept me. Now that you have; were friends now!"_

_"I don't need any friends." Kaori hissed at her dark self._

_"Yes you do, and anyway. You can't not make me your friend. I've been with you all along!" She hissed right back. But it was more of a smirk really._

_"Whatever. I just want to leave." Kaori sighed. Dark Kaori glared. **I've wanted to leave ever sence you were born...you wretched girl!**_

**omg hihi! and btw. _BOLD ITALICS _meansDark Kaori's thoughts.**


	6. Dark Kaori I HATE YOU!

**Dark Kaori! I HATE YOU!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar. I own Kaori and any Oc's. Yes that sounds about right. Also, -- I went braindead on the Kumi one. SORRY!**

Zuko had kept woundering why he wanted to save her so badly. Even after he told himself to stop worrying about her. Everytime he'd think about her, his heart did that THUMP thing. She was strong, beautiful, fast he could go on forever. Was this what it felt like to be in love? That did sound like a good idea. He'd save her, she'd fall for him, it was all way to picture perfect. Mainly because he knew Kaori hated him, he also was awair that when they got to an island that she liked, she'd stay and he'd be continueing on by himself as usual. But It would be a few more months before they got to the next island, possably. He didn't know, that was the helmsmen's area. All he did was order everyone around and search for the avatar. For that moment, finding the avatar seemd more like a hobby than his job. What matterd then was finding Kaori and making sure whoever took her faced a horrable punishment. He wounderd what Kaori was upto while he was sorting out all of this stuff...

_

* * *

"Kaori, have you ever tried to fire bend?" Dark Kaori asked her. She shook her head. They were still in the dark eclips of her mind._

_"No way. Father was a fire bender and he killed momma." She snapped. Dark Kaori growled and tried to controle her fustration._

_"Try! TRY DAMN YOU!" She yelled at Kaori. Ready to smack her. "If you don't try...by god I'll make you!" Kaori backed away a bit._

_"What are you...!" _

Her eyes shot open. "Ah. Now. Lets try the basics." Kaori said to herself, raising her hands and training her basic firebending. "oh..how glorious it will be once this wretch has finally got Firebending down! I can finally come out to play!"

_STOP!_

"Psh. You wish!" Kaori said to herself aloud.

_I SAID STOP!_

Kaori fell to her knees and took in a deep breath. "What was that.?" She hated her new self, she hated Dark Kaori for taking over her body. No one ever took over Kaori's body except REGULAR Kaori!

_Wretch! Mark my words! You will rue the day you were born!"_

"Too late!" Kaori hissed to herself, from the side, she saw a guard raise an eyebrow to her. She had looked like she was talking to herself. She blinked and sat on the bed that was in the cell.

It had been a few hours after Kaori had fallen asleep before she was awaken by the soldier. He slipped between the cells, a plate with bread, a slice of cheeze, and a glass of water. Was that all she'd have to eat? Just bread, cheese and water? Well, its better than nothing. She took it and stuck in her mouth. The cheeze tasted terrible and the bread was hard. She missed the rice, Kurigohan, fish, and the other good foods she got at Zuko's ship after she tasted the terrible food given to her. She refused to eat it. She wasn't being picky, but of course, she was only able to get off tiny crumbs of the bread, and the cheese made her feel sick to her stomach. The water tasted normal. That was the only regular thing; but that wasn't enough. She sobbed in her lap, at least Zuko treated her like a human being! these people didn't care what happend to her, and all that she cared about now was escaping with her life. Thats when she thought about it. Zuko really did care, he sat up with her when she commited suicide, but that was about it. His ship was her refuge. His uncle was nice to her, the crew allowed her to join in with them in their inside jokes. But she never really found the jokes humorus. She was too buisy trying to keep her mind away from the dark things in her life. That didn't work out to well did it?

Her head throbbed. Dark Kaori had given her a good kick. _Hey! Stop all this mushy stuff! Your making me sick! You've always made me sick! Always so...so...soo...ARG! Damn you woman!_

Kaori kept crying as Dark Kaori's scolds sunk her heart. _You worthless peice of shit! You can't do anything right! You think your so great don't you? Well, as long as im in your head, I can make you kill whomever I feel you need to. Or whoever I feel like. But I have to admit Little Lady. You have slightly impressed me. You have managed to hide me from that Zuko boy and his uncle. You lier! You deceiver! When Zuko finds out about you he won't ever care about you! He will dump you in the ocean and let you drown! Your lost in your own lies you worthless bitch! I know the truth, I know your a goodie goodie who is totally boring! Your worthless! I make you exciting! I MAKE YOU DANGEROUS! and yet. Your the one in trouble in almost the whole world arn't you? Well thats worked out swimmingly! I just hope you don't blame me for your...misery. If you do, I'd have to take the credit! Having done that is just what I need! Your a loser, mother never loved you! Father rued the day you were born! He rued the day he helped conseive you! Your nothing but a capsol Kaori!_ Kaori held her head, tears flowing from her eyes. How could Dark Kaori think these things about Kaori? But deep in her heart, she knew it was all true. She knew that what Dark Kaori was saying was true. _You never deserved Mother's love! You never deserved to be born! Your what is stopping me from coming out and finally taking my rightful place as you!_

"NOO!" Kaori screamed to nothing. She thrashed around the cell. Angry as hell. "you will never be me! I AM ME!" A guard ran in to see what the problem was and saw Kaori throwing a fit and yelling that she is the only her and that someone will never be her. She looked insane. _Nice try Kaori! But Im in your head! I can make you do anything! WATCH THE SHOW!_

Before her eyes, Kaori saw millions of dead bodies. The bodies of the people she had killed over her ten years of solitude. Bloody, and there were a few new bodies added to the collection. Zuko and Iroh's. She backed up against the wall, her eyes wide and sweat rolling down her face. Her body trembled as she saw the bodies laying before her. So many. Literally, millions of bodies! Even some from Zhou's army that she killed.Which was a good ten or fifteen.She sunk to her knees as the blood ran closer to her. She placed her hand on the ground and the blood ran all up her arm. It was all an illusion, but it seemed to real! It seemed like that was what really was going on.

The soldier ran out of the room and to the captain of the ship.

"Um. Sir? The prisoner girl seems...insane. What do you want I should do with her?" The captain looked through his telescope. I'd be a good few weeks before they got to the island. So he just decided.

"Throw her over board. The prince gave us spacific orders to capture her, and if nessisary, kill her. I suppose this is nessisary. So, take her and throw her overboard. Maybe she'll drownd!" The guard saluted the captain and walked back down to Kaori's cell.

Kaori's visions had stopped. Dark Kaori found it that she had sufferd enough for that hour or so. So Kaori was sitting in the corner of the cell, her legs hugged to her chest, and her head tilted upward. Tears flowing from her eyes down the side of her face. The soldier picked her up and carried her to the deck, where he tossed her overboard. With barely any time to yell, she had already plunged under the water, struggling to get to the surface. But there was a slight problem

Kaori can't swim...

**

* * *

omg killer ending! COMEON PEOPLE! REVEIW! I REALLY WANT A BUNCH OF REVEIWS FOR THIS ONE SO COME ON!**


	7. Meeting the Avatar!

**Meeting the Avatar!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar. I own Kaori and any Oc's. Yes that sounds about right. Also, -- I went braindead on the Kumi one. SORRY!**

"YOU ARE SO SEXEST! I WANT TO THROW YOU OFF APPA AND HOPE YOU DROWND!" Katara yelled at her brother. Sokka just shrugged it off. He had said something stupid and sexest and Katara is ready to kick his ass. Of course they've been fighting alot lately, Aang just ignores it. As much as he tries to break up the fights, he knows he could lose an arm if he interfears too much. He glanced over appa, to make sure there wern't any fire navy ships around, and he saw someone floating in the water. Without a word to them, he dove Appa to the water, close enough so that he could bring the girl onto the saddel. Once that was accomplished, All of them took a look at her. They all gasped, she to them, looked like a fire bender. Because she was wearing fire nation clothes.

But at the same time, she didn't look like a fire bender. Her face was innosent in her sleep, and the rumer was that Fire nation soldiers looked evil, even when they slept. Kaori sturred. They backed up a bit, cautious. She opend her eyes, all she could see was the sky. Was she still floating in the water? She sat up and saw the new people around her. They all staired at her, blinking. It was really awkward, she looked like a fire bender, and they thought she was.

"Um..hi?" Kaori said finally after the long silence. Thats what started the questions.

"Why were you in the water? Are you a fire bender?" Katara asked. Kaori blinked. These people were strange.

"Long story, and no. No im not." Kaori awncerd. Sokka's turn for questions.

"Then why are you wearing Fire nation clothing?" Sokka asked, Kaori rose an eyebrow.

"I didn't want to wear mine, So I borrowed Zuko's. Hey..come to think of it. Where is the armor? All I have are his shirt and pants...That...that...PERVERT!" They all contained laughter, but just barely. They all almost burst out. I mean. They found it extreamly humorus that Zuko had a girl on his ship to begin with, not to mention, let her use this clothes and taking the armor off.

Kaori didn't think it was so funny. Who knows what else he did? Of course, She'd know. When she was taken, he was fast asleep. on a tree across the fire from her, so he didnt' do much. She let them get their good laugh out, and then her questions began.

"Whats the big deal?" Kaori asked, they got their last few snickers out, and then awncerd.

"We." Aang began, but interruped himself with a giggle. "never expected Zuko to be accused of _that_."Kaori blinked, she was confused; She didn't know Zuko like they did, so she had no clue what they ment.

"Why not? He is still a guy." Katara nodded in agreement, but still couldn't beleive **_ZUKO_** did that!

"Well anyway. Why were you on his ship to begin with?Captive? Guest?" Katara asked, changing the subject before they all died of laughter and Aang couldn't save the world from the war.

"Refugee." There was silence after her awncer. She looked at them as they exchanged glances. "What?"

"You..._chose_ to be on his ship?" Katara asked in disbeliefe. Kaori nodded.

"Yep. It was quite awkward. I wasn't invited. He met Sadie and I could swear to god he almost cried." Sokka snickerd.

"Who's Sadie?" Aang asked while stearing Appa. Kaori turned her head to him.

"My harmless black panther." Kaori explained. Everyone again exhanged glances.

"I'd be afraid of a panther too." Sokka admitted, though he mentally doubted he would, he probably would.

"She wouldn't hurt a fly. Unless, provoked. She is really very sweet."

* * *

Zuko lay on his bed, he hadn't come out in a long time. He heard scratching on his door, when he opend it, in walked Kaori's black panther, black cat, and white kitten. He sighed and shut his door and sat on his bed again. They all jumped onto his bed with him, and Sadie layed her head on his lap. Zuko was hesitant, but he brought his hand up and put it on Sadie's head. Hearing her low purr, it made him smile. She wasn't as scary as he thought she was, Kaori was right, she was harmless. The white kitten climbed up the side of his left arm, and sat on his shoulder, rubbing her head against his cheek. He almost laughed, and the black cat sat beside him. They were all so sweet. He stroked Sadie's back, as he scratched the side of the white cat's chin, and then stroking the black cat.

"You guys miss her too huh?" Zuko asked them, as if they could awncer. "Well. Don't worry. She'll be back." Thats what he kept telling himself all night before then, he kept saying _Kaori will be back...she'll come back...and be alive..._but as many times as he told himself that, it never seemed true. He wanted it to be true, he wanted to fight with her again. He enjoyed their fights, it might not sound that good, but he only fought with her, to hide the fact that he thinks she is pretty. But really, he didn't know if she was going to be alright, or if she was going to be dead. With these thoughts in his head, he felt a tear roll down his face, quickly wiping it away. Why was he crying? He never cried. He didn't cry when his uncle was taken by earthbenders, he didn't cry when he left home. But he did cry when he had to fight his father. Why was he suddenly crying? Was it because Kaori was more to him now than just a refugee? Just some random girl that snuck onto his ship while he was away and made herself at home? Zuko sighed and continued to stroke Sadie and the other cats around him. He was always fond of cats. They were so quiet and wouldn't disturb his sleep like dogs, they were soft, and he just loved cats. He was now with three of Kaori's cats, which made him feel alittle closer to her. But at the same time further away. Does that make sence? Well, if it doesn't, go figure. Nothing has made sence to him in a while...

* * *

**Omg its short. Okay! I'd like to thank my ONLY TWO REVEIWERS! Katuko and Raven.**


	8. Mourning a loss

**Mourning a loss**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar. I own Kaori and any Oc's. Yes that sounds about right. Also, -- I went braindead on the Kumi one. SORRY!**

Every night sence then, the cats slept with Zuko in his room. Which was only a week. One morning, a soldier woke him and told him that they were at Kumabori island. He and some other soldiers left the ship and searched the island. After they did, they went to the giant gold and green palace; and asked that Prince Kaisuke. Prince Kaisuke was a young earthbending prince. He had dirty blond hair, a muscular body, much like Zuko's when he was fourteen. He had on a tan sleevless shirt and baggy brown pants. He had on curled tiped shoes with gems all up the sides of the shoes, and on his shirt as well. Tacky.

"Kaori? No, I don't believe she is here. My soldiers say that they did arrest her yes, but, oh what did you say happend to her?" Kaisuke asked, looking at the captain.

"Sir, I told you that she went insane. She was yelling at nothing and throwing a fit. So, as you instructed, it was nessisary to kill her, so we through her overboard. I'd say by now she drowned." The soldier awncerd the Prince. Zuko froze. Drownd...? He felt his heart drop; His fist lit on fire as he charged at the prince.

"YOU BASTURD!" Zuko screamed, Kaisuke's army held Zuko back from harming their future king,but Zuko wasn't going to stop. They had killed the only girl he ever had a crush on. "HOW COULD YOU FUCKING DO SUCH A TERRIBLE THING? BURN IN HELL!" Zuko got free of the army and charged head on at the prince, fire in his heart. He shot fire balls at the prince. His anger couldn't be described, it was the worst thing he ever felt. It was like, being stabbed in the gut, with no one offering to help. Everyone just walking and minding their own buisness as he bled to death. His vision blurred with newfound tears in his eyes, so his fireballs were indirect. But he didn't care what he hit, as long as he hit something, and he did! he hit the window drapes, he hit the prince many times, he hit the thrown his ass was sitting on, he hit the rugs, and he hit anything else that could catch on fire. After he set the palace on fire, he and his army left. Zuko stayed ahead of them, wanting this all to be a lie. But it wasn't. It was true as far as he knew. He walked onto his ship and his uncle spotted him.

"Hello Prince Zuko! Were is Kaori?" Zuko froze and hung his head. He just kept walking. When he got inside of his room, the cats all greeted him anxiously. Wanting Kaori to be behind him, but after seeing that she wasn't, they looked at him. He shut the door and locked it. He threw himself onto his bed and let tears flow. He never felt such heavieness in his heart. This pain was worse than losing his home, worse than anything he ever experianced. He loved Kaori and she was dead, or as far as he knew. The felines surrounded him, confused on why he was crying. They cautously walked to him, and rubbed his hand with their heads. He just turned away from them and continued to weep. He refused to accept the fact that he could never be with Kaori ever again. All he wanted was for her to be alright, but he knew that wasn't going to happen, she was dead. If only...if only...if only he hadn't fallen asleep. If only he had tried to find his way out with her,but he didn't. He and she slept in the forest that night and she was taken away from him, for good. He never felt so helpless, the sickly feeling of her loss lingerd with him the remainder of the day, just picking at him. If Kaori had been alright...he might have kissed her. Probably wouldn't have, but he wanted to.

A soldier had explained what happend to Iroh. He felt so bad for his nephew and for Kaori. Kaori was gone forever; and his nephew as feeling responcable for her death. He tried to comfert his nephew, but he refused to open the door to him. All Zuko did was sit in that room with Kaori's cats, feeling bad about losing her. Zuko wasn't heard crying; but he didn't come out to eat lunch or dinner, he just sat in that room meditating, but the meditation never worked, he couldn't focus. It was hard on him accepting the fact that Kaori was gone...forever...

* * *

Kaori staired up at the sky. She had insisted that they leave her on the island that they had camped out at,at one point. She didn't want to expose them to Dark Kaori. As much as they didn't want to, they left her with some supplies of theirs, and she gave them money to replace the stuff they gave her. She often found herself breaking down on the beach and crying.

_Are you happy now Dark Kaori? Im all alone..._

_Yeah Im happy! Now your all by yourself and no one will be able to find you!_

_Your wrong..Zuko will find me if he wants to..._

_Suuuure! Whatever you say! psh not! He doesn't want to find you at all. Face it girlie, your stranded._

She walked along the beach, and then she staired at the sky. It was a light blue, and had puffy white clouds. It actually felt nice, to be on vacation. But she'd never be at peace while Dark Kaori controled the visions she would have. But for the moment, Dark Kaori let her be, and she was at peace. She closed her eyes as the cool breaze brushed against her, She couldn't remember the last time she felt so at peace with herself. She had a smile on her face as she relaxed on the shores of the deserted island. She rememberd how she and her mother would go to the beach and play, they built sandcastles and played in the low tide. She wounderd how Zuko and everyone else were doing. She wounderd if they even missed her at all; they hardly ever acted like they would, except Iroh, he was nice to her. Zuko hardly payed attintion to her at all, and when he did, he was either forced to; or they were fighting. His crew was nice, but she doubted they missed her.

* * *

Truth was, when everyone thought she was dead. They missed her more than mear words could express. She was alot of help on the ship when she didn't want to stop working because she was trying to occupy her mind. Now they would never be like they were before they met her, she was greatly missed, and they had to accept it. Kaori was gone. But it hurt all of them to know she was gone; Iroh would play pai-cho silently, Zuko would only come out to do what he had to, like eat and other things while everyone else was sleeping, and then he would go back into his room with her cats. The sunny day, was being treated like a rainy day. No one was happy, but they did what they had to. Zuko had to be alone, Iroh had to play pai-cho with sadness in his heart, and the crew did what they had to do. They didn't cry, but they did sigh an awful lot.

* * *

**sorry for the strong language!**


	9. Nightmares

**Nightmares..**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar. I own Kaori and any Oc's. Yes that sounds about right. Also, -- I went braindead on the Kumi one. SORRY!**

Another week passed. Zuko's heart still hurt from Kaori's death, he wasn't feeling any better than when he first heard that they had thrown her overboard. A knock came to his door one sunny afternoon.

"What?" He snapped bitterly. His complection had gotten paler then before.

"Sir. There is an island ahead. Do you want to stop and check for the Avatar?" Zuko was silent. Did he really want to? It'd be good for him to get out of his room for once and focus on what he was suppost to be doing.

"I suppose so." He growled.He put on his armor, and went out onto the deck. When they hit the shores, he and a few other soldiers left the ship and searched the island.

They all met up back at the shore at sunset. The whole army was smiling at Zuko when he got back; he rose an eyebrow.

"What are you smiling about?" He hissed. They exchanged glances.

"We have a suprise!" One of them declaired. Not hinting what it was, but whatever it was, it made them smile.

"Well what is it?" Zuko barked. They grinned at one another and moved out of the way, and standing behind them was Kaori! With smiles on their faces, they all walked back to the ship; leaving Zuko alone with Kaori.

He was dumbfounded. He thought she was dead! How could she be here? She smiled and walked towrd him. Zuko grabbed her and pulled her into a hug. Wordless. Kaori blinked, but smiled.

"Miss me much?" She teased. He let go of her and crossed his arms.

"Nope." Kaori laughed.

"Whatever you say." She left him standing there and walked onto the ship, and was hugged by everyone. Zuko walked back onto the ship, but just walked down to his room and opend his door. The cats all looked at his smile.

"She's back." He whisperd to them. They all ran out of the room and onto the deck, glad to see Kaori was alive.

That night, they had a party. Music and games were played. They celebrated that Kaori was alive and unharmed. Even Zuko attended; Kaori saw that he really did miss her. He was just too proud to admit it; but he missed her more than everyone else did. After the party, everyone went to bed. Glad to have Kaori back, but very tired. Kaori stayed up on deck, stairing up at the sky. The sky sparkled above her, and reflected in the water; though glad to be back, she wasn't smiling.

"Welcome back." A voice said from behind her. She turned around and saw Zuko standing there, his arms crossed over his chest. She grinned.

"Glad to be back." She replied. Zuko joined her at the side of the deck, the stars made the atmosphere. But they didn't know it. _Damn you Kaori! You got mother's love and this guy's love! God im going to enjoy screwing up your life!_

Kaori shrugged it off. Zuko didn't love her, Dark Kaori was insane! Zuko was mearly her transport untill she got to Shirotorie. "Hey Zuko." He looked at her. Before he had been stairing to the side. "Tell me when we get to Shirotorie island." After he nodded. She walked off the deck and into her room. Having her cats follow her. _Scaaaaaaaaaaaaared?_ Dark Kaori taunted. Kaori shook her head as she walked._ Says you. You don't want Zuko to meet me do you?_ Kaori shook her head again. _Fine! I didn't want to meet him anyway! He is a basturd._ Kaori nodded. _Besides, you two belong together. Your a worthless bitch, and he is a basturd that at least is loved by his uncle! But no one loves you, do they Kaori?_ "SHUT UP!" Screamed Kaori. The crew looked at her, blinking stupidly. She coughed alittle and walked into her room. Her cats were around the ship somewere,so she sat in her room all by herself. Well, not really by herself; Dark Kaori was there to make her life a living hell._ Wanna see a trick?_ "No."_ yes you do! ahh...I'll show you later!_Later came, Kaori had a nightmare.It was way too horrable to express, all I can say here is that it was so bad that when she got out of it, she snuck down the silent and dark halls of the ship and crawled into bed With the one person who god himself would have never expected...

Zuko yawned and opend his eyes. It was three o' clock in the morning, and when he looked at what was stairing back at him, he jumped. Kaori wasn't asleep, but laying beside him.

"W-What are you doing here?" Zuko asked, trying to hide his blush. Kaori was very cool about it, she didn't try to make up a story. She just told him plain and simple.

"I had a nightmare." Zuko stayed a distance away from her that if anyone walked in, would not suspect a thing. "Zuko..."

"W-what?" Zuko asked, starting to inch back to where she was, but doing so very, very slowly. Kaori looked at him for a moment, and then at her lap.

"Nothing. Never mind." Kaori got out of his bed, As she made her way out, Zuko was able to see beads of tears in her eyes. Heaving a sigh, he grabbed her wrist.

"What is it?" Kaori closed her eyes for a moment. Trying to get the tears out.

"Nothing." She lied. _Lier_

"Kaori, come on. Anything that can make _you_ of all people cry, has to be bad." Zuko said to her, he looked like he didn't care, but he did. Kaori sighed and sat with him on his bed.Zuko sat beside her, though he didn't have his arm around her or anything like that. He just sat there as she tried to think of a way to explain.

"Zuko...I...I hate my father even more now than ever." Zuko rose an eyebrow. Was that all? "It was his stupid fire bender genetics that ruined me. It was because if him that I do such bad things..." _Nooooope!_ Dark Kaori interrupted _Its because of me! hehe!_ Kaori sighed. "You now what, never mind." Kaori got off his bed and began to leave again, but this time, he grabbed her hand instead of her wrist.

"Hey. Stop walking out like that when im trying to be a good person and make sure your alright!" Kaori just growled and took her hand away.

"I never asked you to help me! Almost did, but overall didnt!" Zuko growled and grabbed onto Kaori's hand again and swung her around and she tripped over his shoe or something, and fell onto the bed. Zuko was about to go over there and either make sure he didn't hurt her, or interrigate her. Whichever; it ended in tragety. He tripped over the same thing and fell head first into her boobs. His face bright red and his left eye twitching, Kaori sat up and let out a loud scream, and beat him to the ground. "YOU PERVERT PERVERT PERVERT PERVERT!" Zuko took the beating with painful tears in his eyes.

"OW OW OW OW OW! Good God! I don't care anymore! God! ow ow ow! I should have left you on that island!" Kaori growled and with one last smack, she left his room and stomped onto the deck. After Zuko rubbed the new found swells on his face where Kaori beat him, he put his armor on. He had been wearing some pants, and yet no shirt.

After dressing, Zuko walked out onto the deck to see Kaori crying by herself. He heaved a soft sigh and walked over to her.

"Stop crying. Im sorry alright?" Kaori just turned away from him, crossing her arms.

"Whatever. I don't care what you think anyway. Im going to be off this ship and on with my life in a matter of days." Kaori growled. Her eyes narrowed at him, but he didn't know that, she was turned away from him. There was a moment of silence, then she felt Zuko put his arms around her neck.

"Im sorry Okay? I didn't mean to throw you like that. I was just going to make sure you were okay." Kaori blinked.

"Well Arn't you Mr. Softy all of a sudden?" She taunted. Zuko growled softly. "Well, it doesn't matter anyway. Like I said, I'll be gone in a few days." That fact made Zuko depressed. She was right, she would get off at Shirotorie and leave the ship, Zuko, Iroh, and everyone else. If she tried to kill herself again, it might work. He wanted to make her stay, but he knew he couldn't make Kaori do anything. She had her own mind. _Okay im sick of this lovie dovie moment. Time to go!_ Kaori walked away from Zuko, thus making his arms unlace. "Im going now." Kaori bid him farewell and went down to her room. Zuko was left standing there in the dark of the three o' clock morning.

**

* * *

Yay! Here comes chapter 9! Yay for us all!**


	10. Alittle Conversation

**Alittle Conversation**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar. I own Kaori and any Oc's. Yes that sounds about right. Also, -- I went braindead on the Kumi one. SORRY!**

It was around noon when anyone saw Kaori again. She had been locked up for the last few hours in that room of her's. But now she was out and Dark Kaori decided that one day without insanity wouldn't be so bad, So Kaori was happy. She had joined Zuko and Iroh for lunch, saying nothing of Zuko being mr.Softie. If anything; thats what she needed, and she knew that saying anything about it would just push him away. She had gone so long without anyone caring about her, that it felt nice. So she was silent about it.

"Hey Iroh." She said suddenly during the lunch. "Could I join Zuko in his training?" Iroh and Zuko looked at her, she had never asked that before, they figured she wouldn't want to learn fire bending but apparently she did.

"Of course!" Iroh awncerd with joy. He always wanted two pupils! But he only had one, but now he had two! That should teach Zuko to behaive! Zuko growled as he ate his lunch.

Lunch was over, and now it was training time. Zuko wore his usual trianing outfit while Kaori had to wear her school uniform. Mainly because she didn't have a training outfit and Zuko's armor would be too heavy to run around in. So there she stood, up against a guy in a training outfit, in her short black skirt.

"Okay. Lets drill the basics, they are your greatest weapon." Iroh told them. They both nodded, and all Kaori was able to do was dodge. "Kaori! take a breath!" Kaori did so, and through her limbs came fire. She even knocked Zuko down! She smiled and continued the same way.

Kaori was weird! She had never fire bended before, and yet; she was excedingly good at it! She was at Zuko's level and she had only fire bended for one day. Sounds impossable huh?But its true! Iroh didn't believe she really needed to be trained. But when he said that, she denyed it. Zuko growled and refused to go on training.

"Whats the matter Zuko? Angry about being beaten by a girl? In a skirt no less!" Iroh watched as the two fought; and found it quite entertaining. They bickerd so much that oh had suspiciouns that they had more feelings for eachother than just bitter hatred. Zuko argued more than Kaori did, so Iroh figured Zuko liked her alot. Kaori still fought viciously so that mainly said that she liked him too; but neither one of them would say anything! That was the fustraiting part. "Admit it! Your embarrised to be shown up by a girl in a skirt!" She taunted. Zuko growled and threw a firey fist at her, which she of course dodged._Lets go Kaori!_ Kaori shook her head. Zuko and Iroh rose an eyebrow to that, what was she shaking her head for? Kaori blinked and sweatdropped. "It was nothing." _Lier! Tell them Kaori! Tell them about me! Tell them tell them tell them tell them! TELL THEM!_ "NO YOU STUPID BITCH!" She looked at Zuko and Iroh again, their eyebrows were still risen. Had she said that outloud. "Again...nothing...nothing at all." _Oh screw you! I'll tell them! If you don't have the guts!_ Kaori's eyes lost their pupils for a moment, but when they came back, they were a soft red color. "Nothing? I lied! Im insane! You wounder why they through me overboard? I WENT INSANE! I kicked everyone's ass! I'll do it again too!" The soft red color in her eyes dissapeard and they were back to their regular color, and the pupils were back too! "Ummm..."

"Is this one of those things we should overlook?" Zuko asked, Kaori nodded. He nodded along with her. "ooookay." Kaori walked away from them and Zuko turned to his uncle, and rotated his finger beside his head. "She's nuts."

"Prince Zuko, didn't you notice something weird about her?" Iroh asked, Zuko cleared his throat.

"Where should I begin?" Iroh narrowed his eyes alittle at his smartass nephew. Before Zuko could say anything; A soldier ran upto Zuko and told him that he really had to come see Kaori. Zuko sighed and followed the soldier, and they turned the corner into the bathroom, where he saw Kaori's head under a full bathtub.She was struggling, Quickly, he pulled Kaori out and grolwed. "WHAT THE HELL? ARE YOU FREAKIN RETARDED! HOW COULD YOU FUCKING DROWND YOURSELF AND LOOK LIKE IT WASN'T YOU? GOD! SCARED ME HALF TO DEATH!" Kaori coughed out water, unable to awncer right away, the floor was dripping wet, Zuko grabbed her arm and orderd that the soldiers clean it up. They did so without question, as Zuko pulled Kaori into his room for a stern talking to.

She was still coughing up the water. Her hair dripped with the wetness of the water. Zuko waited untill her coughing stopped before his questions began.

"First and formost: WHAT THE FUCK WAS THAT?" Kaori sighed and looked to the side.

"It wasn't me. It was Dark Kaori..." Zuko rose an eyebrow. "It might sound crazy, but im telling you! She can sometimes take over my body and for some reason, she is really really pissed off at me and wants me dead!" Zuko sighed.

"Kaori, that is the worst lie I've ever heard. No one else was there, you were the only one and you were drowning yourself! I know you hate life Kaori but that was taking it way too far! You scared me half to death!" Kaori growled and looked away from him, unable to look him in the eye.

"I figured that if I had told anyone about Dark Kaori, you'd be the one who believed me. But I guess I was fucking wrong. I was actually about to tell you last night but you didn't seem like you were going to understand." Zuko froze, she was going to trust _him_? AND HE SCREWED IT UP!

"Kaori, I was just worried. I didn't want to have to dispose of a dead body. Besides, you can't be so unhappy with yourself that you'd sink that low." Kaori growled.

"IM TELLING THE TRUTH YOU ASSHOLE! oh forget it! Your not going to believing." After she said that to him, she began to cry. Zuko's left eye twitched,

"H-hey! its nothing to cry over! Just don't do it anymore and-" But Kaori cut him off.

"I can't help it! Im telling you the truth! Oh but what do you care? All you'll have to do is find somewhere to hide my dead body."

_Noope...I'd be losing someone I love.._Zuko thought to himself as Kaori said that to him. "Its still inconveniant. Besides, You've seem to have grown on everyone here." Kaori sighed.

"I don't care. She lets me be happy for alittle bit; but when I do stuff she doesn't like; she hurts me." Zuko decided he'd play along. Who knows? Maybe she is telling the truth?

"What does she do to you?" Zuko asked, Kaori wiped the tears from her eyes.

"She makes me see dead bodys that arn't really there and she gives me nightmares and she made me kill those peop-" She cut herself off, had she just...?

"You killed people?" Zuko asked loudly. Kaori slowly nodded. "Thats terrible! How could you do such a low-" Kaori fell to the floor in tears.

"Im sorry! Its not like Im proud of it or anything! Thats why I keep trying to kill myself and possably rot in hell with that damned father of mine. But You kept saving me! One time it was actually on purpose but if I had died from that I don't really care. The crew and your uncle would get over it."

_I wouldn't..._Zuko said to himself. "I still can't believe it! I've got a murderer on my ship!" _Doesn't make a diffrence though. I still love her._

"I said I was sorry." Zuko sighed again. Boy he has got alot of sighs huh?

"Sorry doesn't make up for the fact that you made a bunch of people lose their lives! Money or prized posessions are one thing, but lives?" Kaori growled and stood up.

"Like you arn't recklace! I heard that you thought I was dead and you burnt down an entire palace!Possably killing just as many people as I have over the past ten years!" Kaori protested, Zuko narrowed his eyes.

"Thats diffrent! I thought you were dead! Whats your reason?" Kaori stomped her foot.

"DARK KAORI! DARK KAORI! DARK KAORI!" She shouted. "I really wanted you to believe me." she walked out of his room, sticking her toung out at him. Zuko stood there, in shock. _I...I could have...I could have gotten close to her! Instead I pushed her away! REAL SMOOTH!_ he scolded himself.


	11. Kaori's Choice

**Kaori's choice**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar. I own Kaori and any Oc's. Yes that sounds about right. Also, -- I went braindead on the Kumi one. SORRY!**

Kaori had locked herself in her room and refused to come out. Before doing so, she gave her daggers to Zuko and told him to hide them; after that she sat in her room for hours apon hours. Hardly eating anything. Zuko stood on deck with his uncle, as they had many times before. The entire crew was oddly silent, all that was heard was the gently rocking of the waves.

"Prince Zuko." Iroh suddenly said. Breaking the awkward silence. "Were almost to Shirotorie. What are you gonna do?" Zuko was silent, he just staired at his reflection in the water.

"I don't know what your talking about." Zuko lied. He knew exactly what Iroh was saying and he didn't know the awncer.

"Don't lie to me. I know you like Kaori. What are you gonna do? Are you gonna let her go? Or are you going to ask her to stay?" Zuko's face turned red. How had Iroh found out? The jig was up he supposed.

"I don't know. I could let her go. But You guys don't want her to." Zuko told him. Iroh smirked.

"You don't want her too either. Do you?" Zuko was silent, and then shook his head. "You have to make up your mind. It isn't too late to change corse. You can head to a diffrent island, and we could tell her that we missed it." Zuko considerd his uncle's plan, then shook his head.

"If she wants to go, were stopping at Shirotorie." He told his uncle bitterly. He wanted Kaori to stay more than everyone else. _I really hope she doesn't want to stop. I really pissed her off the other day. Wouldn't suprise me if she wanted to leave...but It would hurt...What am I gonna do? The only thing I look forward to in the morning now is seeing Kaori. Even if she is angry with me._ Zuko had to shut his eyes for a moment. He had never been so deeply in love before. The THUMP in his heart never went away; He knew he'd miss Kaori, he knew he'd be sad. But he also knew that Kaori had only gotten on his ship in the first place was to sail over to Shirotorie, he wounderd if he could change her mind. He figured it'd be worth a try, He had nothing else to lose.

Zuko knocked on Kaori's door. It was a good few minutes before she opend it.

"Yeah?" She asked bitterly. Zuko was silent for a few minutes, collecting his words.

"IwantyoutostayontheshipbecauseuncleandtheotherswillmissyouandImighttoo." He said all at once. Whoo! he said that all in one big breath. Kaori rose an eyebrow.

"Take a breath!" Zuko enhailed, and repeted.

"I, want,you,to,stay,on,the,ship,because,uncle,and,the,others,will,miss,you,and,I, might, too." The commas were on purpose by the way. Kaori crossed her arms.

"Zuko, Why would you want me on the ship anyway? Im a suicidal nightmare! Remember?" Zuko sighed.

"I didn't mean it if I hurt your feelings. I was worried is all." He told her, he hated being so soft; but he really did want Kaori to stay and he would have to make peace with her if she was ever going to. Kaori looked at him for a second. She sat on her bed.

"I'll think about it." She told him. He nodded, and left. She shut the door and thought about it; so far it was a no.

Iroh awaited Zuko's return, and when he didn't return with a smile on his face; it was obvious that Kaori had said no.

"She said she'd think about it." Zuko told him, Iroh's eye lids lowerd half way.

"Oh, okay." He really had his hopes up; they all loved Kaori, some more than others. Zuko could still remember the day he had met her, the awkward moment between the two. He rememberd how he had layed on Sadie, and freaked out because of the strange fur. The fur which he had now grown accustomed to feeling. He had grown accomstomed to Kaori's flawless, yet, depressed face. He hoped he would be seeing it forever. But in the back of his mind, he knew it would eventually leave him; he just didn't know it would be so soon! Too soon. It all had happend so fast, he had met her, he had sat up with her when she tried to kill herself, he had to be saved from her and he saved her after she had been knocked out, He had lost her, he searched,he had his heart broken because of her supposed death, and now that she is back...she's gone. He felt his heart breaking. But there was still that tiny chance that she would decide not to go; that she would stay with him and eventually learn to love him back. That chance seemed so unrealistic though, Kaori was both mad at him, and she had made it clear to them that she wasn't going to be on long. But Zuko made a mistake...he fell in love with her. He glanced down at his hand, the hand that he had squeezed her breasts with while she was asleep; it made him feel so perverted, and yet. He actually felt good doing that. He could just picture that bare boob on his hand, and Kaori's hands on his arm. But that vision quickly faded.All he saw now was just his hand. He knew he was in love, and that he was in love badly with Kaori, but was it sick love? Perverted love? God he hoped not. He wanted her to be with him and only him, but he knew that wouldn't happen if Kaori really wanted to go to Shirotorie.

His uncle had a hunch that Zuko wasn't going to be himself if Kaori left. Probably more distant and depressed.Like he was when he thought she was dead; he'd constantly be worried about her, worried that she'd be hurt, worried that she might not have enough money to live on or something. It didn't have to be rational. He might worry about irrational things. Iroh suspected Zuko was in love with Kaori, he had never seen his nephew behave so...soo...diffrently! Zuko had actually offored to sit up with Kaori, and wasn't orderd. Kaori had, had such an influance on Zuko; and now she was going to be gone. Even Iroh knew that the chance of her staying was awfully small. They had been through so much so fast, Kaori might not forget as easily as she claims she will. He knew Zuko wasn't going to forget so quickly. But Iroh really wanted her to stay, she would scold Zuko for misbehaiving and she'd tell him to respect his elders! Although Iroh didn't like being called elderly, he was awaire that he was, and that Kaori only had good intentions.

Kaori walked onto the deck at sunset, Zuko and Iroh surrounded her, asking what her decision was.

"Well. I thought about it, I really do like this ship and everyone on it, and..." Kaori stalled. Zuko growled.

"TELL US ALREADY!" He scolded, she took in a deep breath and told them.

"No." They froze, Zuko more than Iroh..

**

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omg sorry for the shortness! But I wanted to end it like that just to piss you all off. The commas were on purpose, and I know that they don't belong there. :D**


	12. Goodbye! Kaori is leaving!

**Goodbye! Kaori is leaving!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar. I own Kaori and any Oc's. Yes that sounds about right. Also, -- I went braindead on the Kumi one. SORRY!**

The silent wind blew passed their frozen bodies. Blowing both Zuko, and Kaori's jet black hair to the right. His heart felt like it was ripped out and put in a blender. Kaori looked away from them, as she began to explain her reasons.

"I do like it here. But I can't let any of you get hurt. Sence Im getting off anyway; I might as well say it. I am a murderer, and I am being chased by a bunch of police. If I stay here, You all might get hurt for even being associated with me. The fact that you trasported me was bad enough. Im sorry. But this is how it is suppost to be." Zuko didn't hear her. He was still frozen in that same position; trying to keep himself from crying.How could she do that to him? He didn't care about her being a murderer, he didn't care about if he was going to get hurt or not, he was strong and he could protect both himself and Kaori, but he couldn't say anything, in fear that his voice would crack.

"Very well. Were sad to see you go. Would it be suiting if we gave you a goodbye party?" Iroh asked her. She shook her head.

"No, I don't want anyone to cry over my leaving. Saying goodbye might just cause that." Iroh looked at Zuko from the corner of his eye, and thought _Too late.._ After she saw both were done talking, she went back down to her room. Iroh watched Zuko for a moment, woundering if he was going to move.

"Are you alright Prince Zuko?"Iroh asked, Zuko twitched a few fingers and without an awncer to his uncle, walked below deck and into his room.

_How could she? _Zuko asked himself over and over again. _How can she just up and leave like that? How can she do this to me? She can't just leave like that! I love her! I thought I might be able to get her to love me too if I was just alittle bit smoother, maybe if I wasn't such a basturd yesturday...She would have stayed?_ He bit his lower lip to keep it from quivering. It was all so hard to believe, Kaori was leaving him; and possably never going to come back. He felt himself began to weep. He couldn't bear the thought of Kaori leaving his ship; he thought he had given her everything she wanted, he had given her a sturdy roof over her head, a bed; a care free life, and yet; she was _still_ leaving?

Zuko had silently cried himself to sleep that night, Kaori sat beside his door for fifteen minutes after midnight. She slipped in his door and to his bed, shaking him awake.

"What..?" He asked tiredly, after seeing it was Kaori,he glanced down at the floor.

"Sence its my last night here, can I sleep in here with you?" Kaori asked, Zuko considerd it; it would be a great time to say something to her about how he feels, sink or swim now. He nodded and she cralwed into bed with him.He pulled the blankets over his and her shoulder's. She slept really close to him, he was able to hear her breath._ ooooooooohhhhh goooooooooddddddddddddd_...(God) _Kaori is sleeping with ME in MY bed!she is soo...so...soooo...cute!_ Zuko thought to himself as he softly stroked her jet black hair.It was as soft as it ever was, but at that moment; it meaned the world to him just to have her sleep with him. Just to have her body next to his. Oh why couldn't that night last for the rest of eternity? Or at least untill they missed Shirotorie. That would be enough.

"Do you have to go..?" Zuko asked her, she nodded. He could feel it on his chest.

"Like I said, I don't want to endanger you or your uncle." Zuko put his arms around her and hugged her.

"Im going to miss you.." He admitted, she nodded in agreement.

"Im gonna miss you too.." Zuko staired into the darkness, able to outline Kaori's slim silouette. Even if her body was under his blankets. He stroked her soft cheek with his thumb as he thought about her, though it soothed her she was unsure of why he was doing that. But to know he cared like that was enough, She was at peace when she was with him, Like Dark Kaori had no effect on her whatso ever, it saddend her further that she would leave him soon. Zuko,he got nervous, he couldn't tell her. It just wasn't the right time! Or so he thought.

They had fallen asleep together, Zuko never told her. It remained his secret. Kaori woke up before sunrise and slipped out of his room and back into her own. Where she put on her school uniform and packed her bag. Tears dripping onto her clothes. After she was ready to go, she saw everyone had gotten up before she did and got dressed before she did, and then met her on deck for a last goodbye. They were sad goodbyes. Tears from almost everyone. Kaori hated to leave them, but it had to be done. Zuko was able to sneek her off into his room for one last goodbye. After they hugged and said goodbye for almost fifteen minutes, Zuko pulled out a small red box; he gave it to Kaori and she opend it. On the inside was a locket that had a woman's voice singing Mocking bird.

"It was my mom's." Zuko clearafied. "Sence you can't sneek yourself into my bed anymore, I figure it will help you get to sleep." two tears rolled down Kaori's face as she gave Zuko one more hug. Zuko felt a choke crawl its way up his throat, he was losing her in a few hours.Zuko actually liked having her sleep with him, even back when he hated her. To have her trust him like that was all he could ever wish for, was just her trust. He figure he better be a man and tell her. Or it will be too late. "Kaori.." He began, hesitant. She looked at him; ready to take whatever he had to say. But he couldn't say it, all he ended up saying was "Take care of yourself." She nodded and for the remainder of the few hours, they sat together on his bed lisoning to the locket. When it was time for her to go, she kissed his cheek, and bid him farewell. Slinging her bag over her shoulder and collecting her cat's; she and Zuko went on deck and saw the shores of Shirotorie. Iroh was watching as Kaori and Zuko made their way to the side of the ship so she could get a good veiw of her new home. The sand on the beach was white; and it was lush with forest. The small town that was there was visable. They looked peaceful enough; Zuko believed Kaori would be happy there. Kaori gave one last hug to all the crew members, Iroh, and even Zuko.

Kaori wiped her eyes as she and her three cats walked down the ramp of the ship and bid everyone, a last farewell...

**

* * *

Omg really short. I know. x.x Im sorry for that. I really should have made it longer, but I didn't know how else to discribe it all. **


	13. Puddles gather rain

**Puddles Gather Rain...**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar. I own Kaori and any Oc's. Yes that sounds about right. Also, -- I went braindead on the Kumi one. SORRY!**

The island where he had left his loved one; grew smaller and smaller as his ship sailed away. Having to controle himself from crying proved difficult, his uncle saw he was in pain, and told him that if he wanted to cry; it'd be alright. But Zuko didn't cry. Atleast not on deck; he controled himself as long as he could, stairing at the wide ocean where Kaori and he could have sailed together. He and everyone else would have to try and get back to their normal lives,which ment trying to capture the avatar consantly, and trying not to think about Kaori; and the hot iron burn she left on all their hearts. Her memory will linger on forever, no matter how hard they try to forget her. Zuko snuck down to the hull and into Kaori's room, He closed the door behind him and staired at the room, it looked as empty as it did before she came. Who knows what could fill it later? some sweaty army guys? or another beautiful woman? Zuko sat on Kaori's bed and carefully lifted her pillow upto his nose and inhailed. Kaori's strawberry shampoo smell never left that pillow, it wasn't enough for him though; it would never be enough. A tear rolled down his cheek and dripped onto the strawberry smelling pillow; leaving a dark wet imprint on it, that would dry in a matter of minutes. His heart was still breaking, even after it broke earlier, he just loved her so dearly, and she was gone. His uncle walked in through the door to cheack up on his nephew.

"Prince Zuko, would it make you feel better if we found you another girl?" Zuko glared at his uncle with fire in his eyes.

"Hell no! I don't want another girl! I want Kaori!" He protested, pouting on her bed. This would forever remain 'Kaori's room'. He'd never allow it to be occupied by another woman or a sweaty army guy. He could never love another woman the way he loved Kaori, she was his morning sun and he wanted her back with him. But she had made her desision and he could only pray to god that she is happy, and healthy; even if another man made her happy.

* * *

Kaori enrolled herself in the school there. Everyone was kind to her, and she got a job cleaning an Inn like she had before, and she even found a nice family that housed her. But she still missed Zuko. Sure, Zuko gave her everything she has now, except school but she never really wanted that. Her new school uniform had a short blue skirt and a white blouse with a yellow tie. Same kind of shoes though. It was that night at the family that housed her's house; she was eating dinner, though distracted. The family was a small one. Just a man and a woman. The man's name was Ronald, and the woman's name was Romona. They were newlyweds and always wanted a daughter; but Ronald's little soldiers wern't marching. So they couldn't. They more than happily took in Kaori and treated her like their daughter, which was a nice change.

"Whats wrong Kaori?" Romona asked her while they were eating a dinner of spigetti and meatballs. Kaori hadn't eaten much, she just forked it, and spun it around untill it made a ball around her fork.

"Its nothing." She lied. Truly, she missed Zuko and Iroh. They treated her with respect, Romona and Ronald did as well, but Zuko and Iroh; were diffrent. Zuko hadn't opend up his home so easily. Kaori had to grow on him.

"Something is wrong. Please tell us." Ronald pointed out. Ronald had a black mustach and lightly tanned skin. He was spanish, as well as Romona. Her skin was lightly tanned as well, and she had a tiny mole at the side of her mouth. Ronald's hair was short and black, while Romona's was long, black, and bouncy. Where as Kaori's..always stayed strait.

"I just miss Zuko is all." She had told them about Zuko and Iroh, and their kindness twords her. Kaori felt like crying.

"That is expected. Im sure he is doing fine. Right honey?" Romona asked her husband, he nodded. Kaori gave them a weak smile.

"Thanks. Im not really that hungry tonight. Thank you though." She left the table, and marched up the stairs to her room. Her room was pretty big. She had convenced them that Sadie was harmless, so they let her sleep inside with Kaori. All three of her cats were sitting in her room, exploring. Her bed was a cot, because they had not gotten around to buying her a real bed yet. Her clothes where still in her bag, so was a great deal of her stuff. She layed down on her bed and buried her face in the homemade pillow that Ramona made years ago, before Kaori ever met Zuko; and cried. Softly, so they would not worry, want to talk to her about it, and force her to speak. When she really doesn't want to. _Well Dark Kaori...you got what you wanted...Im miserable..._ Kaori thought, Dark Kaori protested

_No im not happy! You still have people who love you!_ Dark Kaori protested, Kaori shrugged it off and continued to cry silently.

When Ramona and Ronald came in to bid her goodnight, she had cried herself to sleep. They smiled at eachother, as they lifted the blankets over her shoulder and whisperd goodnight to her.Once they shut the door, Kaori opend her eyes and sat up, getting her locket that Zuko gave her, and put it on her end table and opend it, singing along.

"Hush, little baby, don't say a word. Mama's gonna buy you a mockingbird And if that mockingbird won't sing,  
Mama's gonna buy you a diamond ring And if that diamond ring turns brass,  
Mama's gonna buy you a looking glass And if that looking glass gets broke,  
Mama's gonna buy you a billy goat And if that billy goat won't pull,  
Mama's gonna buy you a cart and bull And if that cart and bull turn over,  
Mama's going to buy you a dog named Rover. And if that dog named Rover won't bark,  
Mama's going to buy you a horse and cart. And if that horse and cart fall down,  
You'll still be the sweetest little baby in town."

Tears rolled down Kaori's face as the song finished, she missed them more than she ever thought she would.She was happy living here, but there was something about this place that just didn't feel like home, It was nice, she had a home, a job; parent like figures; an education. But she was happier with Zuko, even if they did constantly fight like there is no tomarrow. The song restarted, so she sang it again. "Hush, little baby, don't say a word. Mama's gonna buy you a mockingbird And if that mockingbird won't sing,  
Mama's gonna buy you a diamond ring And if that diamond ring turns brass,  
Mama's gonna buy you a looking glass And if that looking glass gets broke,  
Mama's gonna buy you a billy goat And if that billy goat won't pull,  
Mama's gonna buy you a cart and bull And if that cart and bull turn over,  
Mama's going to buy you a dog named Rover. And if that dog named Rover won't bark,  
Mama's going to buy you a horse and cart. And if that horse and cart fall down,  
You'll still be the sweetest little baby in town." Each time the song restarted, she sang it; and each time her voice would crack more and more. It was so sweet of Zuko to give that to her. Esspecially sence that was his mother's. She was gonna take special care of that, it was shiny and gold. With a rose in the corner. She couldn't sleep that night, not at all. So, grabbing the locket; and closing it; she snuck out of the house for a walk. She was used to going out whenever she pleased, so she didn't think how Romona and Ronald would think.

She strolled around the town and she found a lake. She staired at the moon above her, she placed her hands together and prayed aloud.

"Dear god. Please make Zuko and Iroh happy, even without me. I couldn't bear it if they were miserable, and please; if Zuko or Iroh did anything bad in their lives, please, please forgive them. I care for them and I don't want to see them in hell with me after we die. I want them in paradice wtih you. So please, make them happy and forgive them for any sins." Kaori prayed.

* * *

Zuko stood on deck stairing at that same moon. Iroh and the others had long gone to bed, and he had his hands put together, praying in his head.

_Please god. Let Kaori be okay, and forgive her for her sins. I don't want her to be unhappy, because I love her._ His prayr was shorter than Kaori's, but it had just as much meaning. This was his first night after Kaori had left, and he didn't know how he would get through it. All he wanted at this point was for Kaori to be happy, and healthy..his last wish was..

"Sleep well Kaori..I love you..."


	14. A bigger plan

**A bigger plan**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar. I own Kaori and any Oc's. Yes that sounds about right. Also, -- I went braindead on the Kumi one. SORRY!**

Kaori walked to the gate of her new school, and already. People began to gossip about her.

"Look at her!" A blond girl whisperd to the other. "Look at that hair! and those shoes!" Her friend nodded in agreement with her as Kaori walked on. In her homeroom class, the girls all huddled together and gossiped, giving her the evil eye.

"I heard she spent the last few months on a fire navy ship." A short-haired brunette whisperd to the group.

"I heard she is a fire nation spy!" A dirty blond girl whisperd to them.

"I bet your right." Kaori payed them no mind. If she was to activate Dark Kaori, they wouldn't matter. But she would have to move again. So she just drew in her notebook while her mind wounderd freely. When she blinked and looked down at her notebook, she saw what she had drawn. She had written Zuko's name over and over again with little hearts around it. With a deep blush on her face, she crumpled it up, threw it in the trashcan, and burnt it. When she saw everyone watching her, she just looked away and left the classroom. Out of the window, she saw Zuko's ship; she knew his ship from anywhere. It was smaller than most fire nation ships. Kaori dashed down the halls and out the doors; down the road and tword the beach. Zuko and Iroh were there to greet her with a small wave. Iroh and Zuko both greeted her with a hug, and explained that they were here to check up on her.

She had gotten them to come to her new home with her, but after she did that, Ramona said for her to go back to school. Sadly, she obayed and bid them farewell for the next few hours. Ramona had served them tea and asked them questions; her tea was quite good, unlike his uncle's in Zuko's opinion. Zuko hardly awncerd any of the questions, his uncle took care of that. Then, out of the blue, Zuko replied.

"Im taking her back." Ramona spat out her tea and coughed.

"Kaori! Kaori please report to the confrence room!" Someone over the intercom told her, she rose an eyebrow and did so. When she got in, she saw Zuko leaning on the desk.

"Kaori. Come back." He told her more than a second of her being in the door. Little did they know that her whole class was waiting outside the door and lisoning in.

"No, I told you why before I left." Kaori awncerd sharply. The students softly gossiped, taking guesses why.

"I know I know! But..still! I want you to come back. We all do!" Zuko defended, Kaori shook her head. "Come on! Don't you remember your last night with me?" The students gasped and backed away from the door.

"Oh my god!" They whisperd to eachother. "THEY HAD SEX!"

"Please!" Is what brought the students back to lisoning. "Your making it sound like we had sex or something." They all softly sighed in dissapointment.

"Kaori come on!" Zuko defended. "Im asking nicely!" Kaori rose an eyebrow.

"This is your idea of nice?" Zuko nodded quickly.

"Fine! I'll go with plan B!" Zuko grabbed her arm and pulled it behind her back and escorted her out. She was thrashing and ordering him to let her go, but he refused. He took her to the ship and locked her in her room.

It was a few hours before Zuko unlocked the door. Kaori ran onto the deck and there were her cats, and her bag. All around her was ocean. She glared at Zuko and charged at him.

"HOW COULD YOU! YOU TOOK ME AWAY FROM MY HOME YOU BASTURD!" Kaori's eyes turned red, and her body changed as well. Her breasts grew and her hair changed color.

"Kaori! Calm down!" Iroh orderd, Kaori's breasts shrunk, her hair turned black again, and her eyes returned to normal. But, she walked over to Zuko, gave him a good hard slap which made his cheek swell alittle, and she stomped back down to her room. Zuko rubbed the swell on his cheek as his uncle tried to figure out what happend to Kaori.

"You know who she kind of looked like for a second?" Zuko asked, rubbing the soar swell. "That statue of the fire goddess, who founded the fire nation." Iroh nodded in agreement. The fire goddess did look alittle like Kaori had for that short moment. He recalled, that in a history book he once read, that the fire godess always wore clothes that would make her attractive to men, but envied by wemon. "Do you think father would want her instead of the avatar? I can't see how he wouldn't! She is pretty strong! I bet she could beat him!" Iroh shook his head at his nephews enthusiasm. "All we need is some bait to get into the fire nation..."

* * *

"Do you have any idea where we are?" Katara asked Aang. He was silent.

"You know what would suck?" Sokka asked, they both looked at him. "If instead of going north, we accidently went south." Both Aang and Katara's mouths dropped.

"Don't even joke like that." Katara hissed at him. Thats when Sokka clamed up. After about two seconds, he spoke again.

"Aaaaaang!" He panicked. They looked to the side and saw Zuko's ship, and him trying to shoot them down.

"Ooooooh craaaap!" Aang cried, appa fell to the sea.

* * *

Zuko orderd that they be taken aboard. His crew obayed and escorted them on.

"Avatar. I finally caught you." He smirked. Aang glared at the ground. "And yet. I will only use you as bait." Aang looked back at him, an eyebrow risen.

"Why?"

"I have a bigger plan. All I need is acess to the fire nation. So, take them to the prison hold!" His crew obayed.

**

* * *

They may not have PA systems in the avatar world, but ah well:D**


	15. Fire Goddess!

**Fire Goddess!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar. I own Kaori and any Oc's. Yes that sounds about right. Also, -- I went braindead on the Kumi one. SORRY!**

Kaori stayed locked up in her room, untill Zuko came to her and... 'apoligized.'

"Im sorry Kaori, I know I ripped you away from your home. But hey! Were heading to the fire nation! You can live there in a giant palace and have your every whim granted." That did sound pretty good to her. So she nodded.

"Alright. I guess I could." Kaori told him with a smile, Zuko smiled back; his plan was unfolding! He had re-gained Kaori's care and now all he had to do was get into the firenation.

They pulled into a blockade. But Zuko was not worried; he had done what he had been sent out to do, so it was time to go home! Kaori decided to clean up alittle on the ship. So she picked up her old mop and began to mop around the ship; somehow, she had found herself in the prison hold. Where Aang, Katara, and Sokka sat in their cells.

"Aang! Katara! Sokka!" She exclaimed, kneeling down to them. "What are you doing here?" They blinked and began their questions without awncering her's.

"We should be asking you that!" They all exclaimed at once.

"We were taken prisoner! Zuko said something about...a bigger plan. But we don't know what that means." Aang told her, Momo slipped through the bars and into Kaori's lap.

"I'll make sure he doesn't hurt you guys.For some reason, he has been acting strange lately. But ah well. " They exchanged looks.

"well, Just don't get yourself in trouble." Katara cautioned, It went in one ear and out the other.

"I won't." Kaori told her, standing up and walking out, leaving Momo behind with them.

* * *

The blockade let them through, and they were at the fire nation in a matter of hours. Before getting there, he let the avatar go. Appa had been sitting on the deck for a while, just to show that he had caught the avatar. Once at the fire nation; he instantly showed Kaori the palace; and the statue of The fire goddess.

"wooooww!" Kaori gasped, it was so cool. "That looks just like Dark Kaori." She told him. Zuko rose an eyebrow, was she still playing that stupid game? The fire lord came to them, and Kaori instantly backed away. Zuko assured her that she was safe; so she stood beside him once again.

"Hey Dad!" Zuko greeted. Ozai shot him a glare.

"You wern't suppost to return." he hissed. Zuko just crossed his arms.

"If Kaori can beat you in ag ni kai then I get to stay. Sound like a deal?" Ozai thought about it, and then nodded.

* * *

Zuko took Kaori to his old room in the palace. It was red, like most of the palace.

"I can't beat him! He is the FIRE LORD! I can't fire bend!" Kaori hissed at Zuko, using a complamentory hair brush to brush her hair.

"Don't worry about it, You'll do just fine." He told her, a smile on his face. Kaori shook her head.

"No I can't! I refuse!" A spark went off in Zuko, he got up and grabbed her wirst really hard.

"Look! My home is at stake! YOU _WILL_ FIGHT! and YOU _WILL_ WIN!" Kaori yanked her wrist back.

"Fine." She hissed. He grinned; proud of his bad self.

* * *

It was time for the fight. Kaori was wearing a white tube top and baggy silk pants. Ozai wore whatever the hell he is suppost to wear, and both got ready for the fight. Kaori didn't seem happy. Of course she wasn't, she had been forced to do something she didn't want to do. Zuko was on the sidelines and Iroh was in the stands with the audiance. Kaori's face seemed dark and sad; she slowly brought her hands up with her head hung low, getting into position. Ozai fired the first blast; it engulped Kaori. Everone else Gasped, when the fire cleared, Kaori was without a scratch. Her head was still hung and her arms now were draped to the side, but she was chuckling.

"That did it.." She told him. Her eyes became red, her breasts grew, her hair color changed, except now the transphormation completed itself, she was Dark Kaori on the outside and good Kaori on the inside. Her baggy pants became a tight skirt, her bare feet became the platform boots, and her tube top became the tight tank top. Her nails were long and painted. The crowed gasped.

"I-I-Its the fire goddess!" They all panicked, but still watched the fight to see what was going to happen. She shot a fire phenox at Ozai, he deflected it but the fire snake attacked him from behind and went into his skin, burning him from the inside. A smirk on her face.

"STOP IT KAORI!" Zuko shouted at her from the side lines, she brought her fire snake out of Ozai, who fell uncontious on the ground; and made it swirve around Zuko, not burning him, but close enough for him to feel the heat.

"Whats the matter? I thought you _wanted_ her to win. Oh! and this isn't Kaori, this is DARK Kaori!" She told him, grinning. "Or better yet, the fire goddess!"

Boy did Zuko feel stupid! He thought that Dark Kaori was regular Kaori's game, but apparently she was REAL!

"And sence I defeted Fire Lord Ozai, I proclaim my rightful place! Ruler of the fire nation!" She declaired, without question, everyone except Zuko and Iroh began to cater to her every whim. She sat on Ozai's throne sideways with her long, slinder legs sticking out into the air.

"Prince Zuko, I think this would be a great time to tell her how you feel. I think you just need to get to her heart so regular Kaori can come back!" Iroh declaired, Zuko sighed. It was worth a try!

Zuko walked over to the throne and spat it all out.

"KAORI! IM IN LOVE WITH YOU!" He shouted with his eyes closed, when he opend them, Dark Kaori stayed there, just stairing at him.

"Yeah so? Everyone loves Kaori. No big deal." She told him, having roasted grapes put in her mouth. Zuko's eye twitched, had he just...and it didnt...?

DAMN!


	16. Fantasy

**Fantasy**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar. I own Kaori and any Oc's. Yes that sounds about right. Also, -- I went braindead on the Kumi one. SORRY!**

Zuko sat in his room as Fire Goddess Kaori was being tended too. High mantnence. He was just lucky she didn't ban him from the fire nation. His uncle Iroh joined him with a big book about the Fire Goddess, and left without a word. Zuko flipped through the pages, and read about her..

* * *

Apparently, The fire goddess founded the Fire nation because where she lived, she was considerd a slut and unworthy of the royal family she was born into. She wore reveiling clothes to be admired by the boys, and envied by the wemon. But instead, she was admired by the men, and hated by the wemon. So she had every woman who dishonored her, burnt alive at the stake. She had a large ego and had to be the top of everything; She had to be the most beautiful, the highest in the social ladder, and the most adored woman. After 20 years of ruleling the fire nation, without any family to speak of; The fire goddess was assasinated in her sleep. Ever sence then she has searched for a new host. There have been 20 cases of insanity, suicide attempts, murders,and possessions. One for each year of her ruleling. The cases have all had something in common, they all had family members who loved them dearly, and all happend from birth. She would possess a body, and controle it to do her bidding. Making sure that misory and woe eat the earth.If someone loves her host (special friend, family members, ect.) then the host must suffer. She was never loved when she was alive; even by her admiring men. So she has to make sure no one else is ever loved. Each case ended up dead.

* * *

That hit Zuko's heart, could Kaori die from this? How could someone be so cruel? With a growel, Zuko slammed the book shut and marched to the throne room. The fire goddess was still sitting on her ass on the throne, Throwing fire balls at her followers for amusement. He stomped upto Dark Kaori (AKA The fire goddess) and demanded she let Kaori go!

"Sorry." She told him, even though she wasn't that sorry. "She is where you can't save her." For a moment, she became regular Kaori again, she ran down to Zuko and he gave her a hug. A tight, loving hug. A hug like he had never given her before.

"Zuko...Im so sorry...I love you too..." She put her hand to his cheek and brought his lips down to her's. They kissed. Something Zuko had been wanting to do for so long sence he fell for Kaori; too bad it couldn't be like this forever. He looked into her eyes, and they were pure red. Which ment she was still half possessed. He gave her another hug. She put her hand on his cheek, and he could feel the heat from her Fire Goddess self.

"Don't leave me again Kaori..." He cried with his arms tightly griped around her,tears running down his face, they hit her hand and became steam. She gave him one more kiss.

"Im sorry...I have to...She is stronger than me now...I can only come out for this few seconds." She took her hand away from him and slipped out of his grasp. Like she had so many times before. Kaori became Dark Kaori once again, and sat back on her throne. He couldn't believe that the girl he fell for was going to really die this time. How could he bare it...?He wouldn't let that happen!

"Dark Kaori, I challenge you!" Zuko growled, Dark Kaori mearly gave him a 'yeah right, like you can really have a chance against me!' look. She hopped off the throne and threw a fire phenox at him, He rememberd that she had done the exact same thing to his father, where the fire phenox was just a distraction from the fire snake; everyone would watch the phenox and never think twice about the snake, So, instead of blocking it; he knelt down and the phenox flew above him and the snake flew the opposite way. That seemed way too easy! He had to defete Dark Kaori some how, but he would need allies. He fled to his ship, calling for his uncle. Iroh followed, hateing to leave Kaori in such a situation by herself; but he knew Zuko had a plan.

* * *

They got out to sea, searching yet again for the avatar. Aang and the others were found camping out on a near by island, just outside the fire nation. Zuko landed and they fled, but he told them to stop.

"I didn't come to capture you! I need the avatar's help." Zuko hissed. They stopped, Zuko needed _Aang_'s help? "As a matter of fact, I need all of your help. Let me explain..." And he did so. He explained Dark Kaori; the fire goddess, how Dark Kaori took over Kaori's regular body and has taken throne to the fire nation. They all lisoned attintivly; trying as Zuko explained, to comprehend what he was saying. "I need one person from all of the Elements to help; Avatar is air and Water tribe girl is water, Im fire so that only leaves-" But Katara finished.

"Haru!" She exclaimed. "He is an earthbender!" They all looked at her and nodded in agreement. Zuko orderd that they go find this 'Haru' person, and meet him back at the Fire Nation Palace. They knew that Zuko had something planned; so they got on appa and flew back to where Haru lived. Zuko however; had another person in mind to help.

"Set a Course for Kyoshi!" Zuko orderd, His crew obayed without question and set a course for Kyoshi.

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Sorry for the shortness; but I wanted to both spread out the chapters and to create suspence. Also, if the time frames between islands Isn't logical, please just go along with it; I don't want to break my head with physical junk.**


	17. I have to save myself!

**I have to save myself!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar. I own Kaori and any Oc's. Yes that sounds about right. Also, -- I went braindead on the Kumi one. SORRY!**

They had landed on the shores of Kyoshi in a few days. Don't ask me how they got there so fast but I don't want to break my head with technical cray as I mentioned in the A/N in the previous chapter. Kyoshi instantly panicked once they show the fire navy ship. But Zuko explained a short version of what was going on and that he needed a few worriors. He took Suki, and some of the other worrior girls. On his ship on the way back to the fire nation he spacifically told them that Kaori's room was off limits. Incase he did in fact lose Kaori; he wanted her room to remain exactly how she left it. While on deck during the night, Zuko and the soldiers prepaired for battle, Zuko actually learned a new move! Fire dragon. It can be inhanced when it is mixed with another element; he assured them that he would try to stop the war if they helped; which is why they volinteered. Also to save a life.

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They got to Haru's island, and went strait to his old house. Haru's mother had passed on; leaving him with his father. Haru was working out in the barn when Katara and everyone burst in, asking for his help.

"Okay okay. Calm down and explain everyhting to me." But they just grabbed his wrist and dragged him to Appa.

"We'll explain on the way." Katara assured him as they ran up Appa's tail and onto the saddle.

"Yip Yip!" Aang called to Appa, instantly, he levitated and flew off from the island. Katara began to explain, she explained everything Zuko had told them; how he was so desprite to help Kaori that he asked his enemys for help; and how he needed people from diffrent elements to help save Kaori's life.

"I see..so a fire nation prince needs a commoner's help?" Haru asked. Katara nodded.

"Yeah thats it in a nutshell."

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Both of them had gotten to the fire nation about the same time.Suki and her worrior friends joined with Haru, Katara,Sokka,Aang,and Zuko.It was a small, but effective army. He explained Kaori's fire phenox. How it is only a distraction and they should watch out for the snake. That made them nervous, but willing still to help. They burst through the doors of the palace and challenged Dark Kaori once again. Her slim body as slim as ever, her skin heated as much as ever, and her hair on fire as much as ever. It was all ment to arouse men, but Zuko could never have been more turned off; she was fat and ugly in his eyes, were as Kaori was slim and beautiful.

"You wanna try again for your darling Kaori? Oh look! He had to get a few baby helpers!" The fire goddess Taunted. That must have been how Kaori felt each and every day of her life with that nagging voice. Zuko, Aang, and Katara mixed together their elements while Suki, her friends and Sokka made a sneak attack from behind. Haru made the ground under her levitate; it was useless though, she only stumbled a bit. Ozai and Iroh joined in to help save Kaori after they saw that they needed more help. Nothing seemed to be working! She was invincable! But there had to be something they could do. Aang blasted her with a tornado; but it only curled her hair! Katara tried to put out her fire with water from the throne room's fountain; but she made a fire shield that held up against it. Zuko tried the heart idea one more time, and when he saw it really wasn't going to work; he did his athousand fire ball blast at her. Still had no effect. They all had to remember; they were going up against a 10,0000 year old spirit from beond the grave. But that didn't stop them! Suki threw her fans at Dark Kaori while Sokka threw his boomerang and a spear. None of which hit her. Haru tore up the ground and attacked her with it; and yet...nothing! It was like nothing they tried worked! Which was actually true.

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I have the next part planned out, I just need to waist some space. So Right here im going to tell you all about my next fanfic I will do once this one is done. Pluse; I will explain why this one is ending so quickly. First and formost: Why this one is ending at the Seventeenth chapter. Okay well, I blame it on the school system. I had planned to make it longer; and yet...I got another kick ass idea! So Im ending this one with a BANG! I had this part planned out in my head for like, weeks! ever sence I lisoned to EVERYBODY'S FOOL by Evanescence. (Chibi me flys across the screen) Woo! okay anyway. Im just waisting some space like I said before. I didn't want to make it seem short, So, onto my next topic: My next fanfic!

(TV turns on, me in a purplie suit sitting at a desk)

"This just in! New fanfic will come to once FOR THE LOVE OF KAORI is finished! It will be called 'Sweet Solitude Evony' The title doesn't make sence, but it sounds awfully neat! Its about Zuko's father being friends with this girl Erica's father and at a party her father is holding, he engages his daughter to Ozai's son! (By the way, Zuko can attend because the party is in the earth kingdom) wooo anyay. Yeah! Stay tooned for the next fanfic, full of romance, passion, perverted parts, an arranged marrage, and revenge:D(TV turns off) Okay, have I waisted enough space? I dont know:O But yeah, stay tooned for the next fanfic! That will be totally awsome in so many ways! Yeah, I think this is enough space waisted, thank you for facing through my boring space wasiting thing. Doo..dooly doo!

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The battle had lasted a few hours while I was waisting space above. Everyone felt like they were losing energy; like the life was being sucked out of them as they fought for all that is right and for Zuko's love for Kaori.Suddenly, for no apparent reason, Dark Karoi changed a little bit, but stayed the same on the outside.

"All of you! please stop this! Your going to get hurt! This is my fight! I will have to save myself this time." Kaori told them, it was undoubtably Kaori, her voice assured them that she had it all under controle. They stopped fighting, Dark Kaori rose a firey fist and drove it into her own stomach, forcing a yell out of her. "YOU LITTLE BITCH! TAKE THAT!" She hit herself again. It was a fight of the minds, but the fire goddess wanted it to be a fight of strenth. It went on like that, It was about time that Kaori stood upto her worse enemy, worse than her father. Herself.Zuko and the others watched as she destroyed herself from the outside. Untill...she fell over dead. Zuko ran to her, her body had turned back into Kaori's sweet, sweet body. Zuko caught her in his arms and called for her to stay alive as long as she could. The soldiers ran her to the infermary, keeping her alive as long as possable.

Zuko sat with her, first thanking everyone for helping him, he also said that he would make sure they were returned home safely; he as promised, assured them that he would try to get his father to stop this stupid war. He had orderd his crew to take everyone back to their home villages, and to allow Aang, Katara, and Sokka to leave the fire nation in peace. His fingers were laced with Kaori's as he sat up all night as he had done earlier in the story; Tears dripping from his eyes as all his memorys of her flooded back; he couldn't help but lean over her body,and kiss her. It was just as the book had said, every single case ended up dead...and Kaori was no acception.

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The fire goddess sat alone in Kaori's mind, crying in the void of darkness. Her tears never leaving her eyes, for they became steam before they could even slide down her face. Kaori appeared before Dark Kaori and asked her why she would do such a terrible thing.

"Because. When I was alive 10,0000 years ago. My family hated me. They called me a slut and unworthy of the throne. I was reborn in your body and I saw how you had a family that loved you. How you were loved by every single person in your life. But I knew the truth, you were only pretending to be so perfect and a goodie goodie. You were perfect by nature, a good girl, pretty face, and a loving family. I felt betrayed because I was never loved like that, not even in your body, and now you have a man who loves you for you, and I never had any of that." Kaori lisoned to what her dark self had to say. She walked over to Dark Kaori and slapped her across the face.

"Were you really happy, while I was miserable? Sure Zuko loves me, and I love him. But that doesn't mean that you can't be loved either. You are a part of me, so he loves you too. He might not be too happy with you at the moment, but...Fire Goddess, making me miserable isn't going to get people to love you anymore. It never worked before and It doesn't work now. Did you really think that would work?" Dark Kaori lisoned to what Kaori said and began to cry again.

"No...not anymore..." She cried. Kaori knelt down to her and gave her a hug.

"Just don't be so mean. Zuko hated me to begin with right..?" Dark Kaori nodded. "But he learned to love me, so he will learn to love you too, but you have to be kind to him, and don't try to hurt me anymore." Dark Kaori wiped away her tears that had not yet left her eyes. The dark void around them became a peaceful place. Trees, a water fall, a river,sunlight, and blue skys. "Do you see now?" She nodded.

"Yeah. I guess you should live.."

Kaori's eyes opend to see Zuko weeping over her body. She smiled, lifted his chin, and kissed him.

"Its okay. We made peace.Dark Kaori wants to be loved too." Zuko lisoned to what she said, and kissed her back.

"Alright..I guess we could get along. You know, I was suppost to be a transporter for this really cute girl, but I screwed up..I fell in love with her." Zuko told her smiling. Kaori smiled.

"And she fell in love too..." They both laughed, and with one last kiss...

THE END!

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FOR THE LOVE OF KAORI! is over:D I suppose thats good. Sorry all for the lack of chapters, but ah well. I hope to be seeing my reveiwers at my next fanfic :DDD also, that last bit if Dialouge 'I screwed up, I fell in love with her' thing was from 10 things I hate about you, at the end I think it was. Yeah the end.**


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